The Valiant Ones
by Okori Yo
Summary: A group of young teenagers are suddenly brought to the Digital World and are assigned the task of saving it from the growing evil that threatens it. Along the way, they make new friends, are taught valuable lessons, and learn more about themselves.
1. Lost and Found

Chapter 1: Lost and Found

"C'mon Leomon, attack!" Kit Jennings growled at the screen. She then groaned as the Champion Digimon was turned into a pile of data. Beside her, Samuel Burke chuckled and said, "That's two wins out of three for me. Guess I got this round."

"Hmph, just because you won with Monochromon doesn't mean you have to be so cocky, Sam." his friend replied, turning and glaring at him. When he didn't reply, she sighed and turned to the two people sitting on the couch behind them.

"You guys wanna play?" Kit offered hopefully.

"I don't think so." Nicole Smith snorted, adding, "You and Sam are experts about Digimon. We'd get our butts kicked playing you two. Right Amanda?"

"Sorry, Kit, but I have to go with Nicole. Although I'm good, I'm not that good." Amanda Johnston replied with an apologetic shrug. Nodding, Kit faced Sam. "How about another round, then?"

"You bet!" the teen replied with a grin. Smiling back, Kit started to set up the battle when the screen started to flicker. Leaning forward, she banged on the TV, but the flickering only worsened.

"Stupid thing…" she muttered, and was about to reach for the power button when the screen started to glow.

"What's going on?" Amanda asked.

"No idea." Kit replied, but was cut off from saying anything else when the screen flashed and everything went white. Crying out, the girl felt like she was falling, but could see nothing except a world of white. _Where are my friends_? she asked herself, then yelled as a jolt of pain went through her and everything faded to black.

- - -

When Kit awoke, she realized she was lying on the ground and that it was night. Wondering what had happened and why she was suddenly outside, the 13-year-old froze as a voice off to her left hissed, "The child is mine!"

"I will never allow that to happen, Piedmon! She will not fall into evil hands as long as I am here to protect her. _You_ should know that by now." a firm voice replied, sounding defiant, although quite tired. Kit blinked, recognizing the name. Piedmon was a Mega-level Digimon, which was one of the most powerful levels a Digimon could get to.

The girl knew from facing Piedmon in her game that he resembled a clown, complete with bright clothing and a black and white mask on his face. On his back were four swords, which he used to attack, and he was slightly larger than a full-grown man. Although he looked weak, the Mega Digimon was powerful and had the brains to back his strength up.

"That's a pity, Andromon…I'll just have to destroy you, then." Piedmon replied calmly. _Andromon…he's a Ultimate Digimon. He's not gonna defeat Piedmon easily_. Kit thought to herself, scanning the area around her for a hiding spot. If this was real and not just a bad dream, she did **not** want to be stuck in the middle of a fight.

Spying a hiding spot between two trees that were growing close together, the teen quickly rolled into the undergrowth and slipped behind the trees, peering out through the gap. Andromon stood with his back to her, looking rather the worse for wear. Wondering exactly how long they had been fighting, Kit jumped as a small Digimon charged out of the bushes.

"No! I won't let you do that!" it cried, stopping beside Kit's battered protector. It looked like an Agumon, but was made of Lego blocks. Confused, the girl watched as Piedmon threw back his head and laughed.

"Hahahahaha! What's this Andromon? Are you so weak that you must rely on a Rookie Digimon to save you? But enough of this. I'll turn you both into data and claim the girl." the Mega Digimon sneered, drawing one of his swords.

Andromon faced his opponent and cried, "Gatling Attack!" A missile shot from his chest and raced towards the other Digimon. At the same time, the Lego Agumon (Kit had just decided to call it that, not knowing its actual name) took a deep breath and called, "Toy Flame!"

A small fireball flew towards Piedmon, following Andromon's attack, but Piedmon merely blocked them with a twirl of his sword, shielding himself from the blast of the missile. Snorting, the clown Digimon slashed his sword horizontally and roared, "TRUMP SWORD!" A beam of light appeared after the slash and flew towards the two Digimon hitting them and creating a small explosion.

Kit ducked as dirt clumps rained down on her, and looked up once the dust had cleared. Andromon was slowly getting up, but the Lego Agumon had been replaced by a small egg. Feeling a pang of sadness at the loss of the Digimon, the teen returned her attention to the battle.

"How dare you attack a defenceless Digimon, Piedmon. You're despicable!" the android Digimon said, sounding horrified.

"Thank you, Andromon. I'm honoured." Pied replied with a small bow.

"That wasn't a compliment. Lightning Blade!" An arch of light was sent from Andromon's arm and towards Piedmon, which he countered by using Trump Sword again. The two attacks collided in mid-air, creating a brilliant flash of light followed by a shockwave.

Kit yelped as she was thrown backwards from the force of the attack, but neither Digimon noticed her, each intent on trying to destroy the other. Feeling exposed and unsafe, she looked around for a better hiding spot and noticed that the egg had been tossed next to her by the shockwave. Picking it up, she winced as another explosion echoed through the forest, but looked up as the sky above started to lighten. The starry night was quickly replaced by a swirling mass of clouds which were blue-white and glowing brightly.

Kit stared as a flash of lightning light up their depths, revealing a massive shape inside the clouds. Piedmon and Andromon had also stopped fighting to see what was happening and were also gazing upwards.

A beam of light suddenly shot out of the clouds and landed between the two Digimon, and the ground shook under the impact. It then expanded rapidly, and Kit curled into a ball, shielding the egg and hoping she was going to come out alive. A blast of warm air swept over her, and she once more blacked out.

- - -

"Sam. Samuel, wake up!" a irritated voice snapped. Groaning, Sam opened his eyes and looked up into Amanda's dark brown ones. Looking relieved, she sat back and allowed him to sit up. Rubbing his head, he looked around, seeing that they were in a small forest clearing.

"Where…where are we?" Sam asked slowly, still trying to figure out what happened. One minute they had been sitting at Kit's house, and then everything had gotten weird.

"No idea, but I'm worried. As much as I like nature walks, being lost in the forest is not what I was planning on doing today." Amanda replied with a slight smile.

"Yeah, I know the feeling." he replied. Hearing a rustle in the bushes, he climbed to his feet and turned towards the sound.

"What is it?" his companion asked, moving behind him and sounding nervous. Blue eyes narrowing, Sam eyed the undergrowth warily, not entirely sure how to respond.

"Whatever it is, I hope it's not dangerous." he finally responded. The bushes shook again, and then a voice cried, "Electric Stun Blast!"

Sam dove to the ground, pulling Amanda with him, as a crackling ball of electricity flew out of the bushes and landed behind them. Getting to his knees, Sam saw a light purple blur shoot out of the forest, but decided not to stick around and find out what Digimon was chasing them.

Pulling Amanda to her feet, they raced into the forest and down a hill, hearing the sounds of pursuit close behind them. So they were in the Digital World, being chased by a Digimon, and completely lost.

"Was that a Digimon?" Amanda gasped as they tore around the trees.

"Yep." he answered, hearing a snarl of anger behind them.

"Ok…which one?"

"Don't know." he replied tensely, ducking under a low branch.

"But you're an expert on Digimon!" Amanda protested. Risking a glance back at her, Sam realized that the normally calm girl was scared. Sighing, he said, "I didn't have time to look at it, alright?"

"You will now!" Looking up, Sam came to a quick stop, then grunted as his friend ran into him.

"What was that for?!" she snapped, then followed his gaze. "Oh…never mind. That's a Gazimon, right?"

"_Oooh_, the human child knows about Digimon? Please, do tell." The purple cat Digimon cackled, hopping down from the tree branch it had been standing on and walking towards them.

Glaring at him in distrust, Sam replied, "In our world, Digimon is a game and a TV show…not real, in other words. What do you want?"

Grinning, the Gazimon waved a paw and answered, "Aw, nothing much. I just need you to come with me to see the Boss, that's all. Easy as pie."

"I don't think so, Gazimon." Amanda said, and Sam looked at her in surprise. She normally wasn't so…outgoing. That was more like Nicole. What had gotten into her?

Golden eyes narrowed, Gazimon licked his lips and frowned. "Don't want to come, huh? Fine then…" shrugging, he turned away and walked off. Still suspicious, Sam sighed and turned to his friend. "Come on, let's go before he changes his mind. Although Gazimon is just a Rookie, we're no match for him."

"Good idea. Let's get out of here." Amanda replied with a nod. Turning, Sam eyed the retreating back of Gazimon again, then headed back the way they had come.

He had barely taken three steps before the ground beneath him suddenly gave way, and they were both falling. "Ahhhhh!" Sam cried, hearing Amanda echo his scream. Hitting the bottom with a yelp of pain, he paused to catch his breath, watching the world spin above him. Peering upwards, he saw Gazimon kneeling by the edge of the hole.

"You forgot one thing, kid. We Gazimon are pranksters! Hahahaha!" Laughing, the purple cat Digimon grinned at his captives, then shrugged. "For your information, that was my Pitfall attack. Useful, eh?"

When neither human replied, Gazimon snorted and stood up. "Well then, you two can stay down there while I go fetch some help. Have fun!" Still dizzy, Sam watched as the Digimon turned and walked away, feeling his stomach clench. They were trapped and exposed to any other Digimon who decided it would attack them. Not exactly the best situation to be in.

Sitting up, the boy sighed, knowing that all he could do was wait until Gazimon returned.

- - -

Nicole came around slowly, the sudden cold making her shiver. Why was it so cold? And what had happened? She remembered the TV at Kit's house glowing then a bright flash of light, and the sensation of falling. She had seen her friends falling, first witnessing Kit vanish, then Amanda and Sam disappearing too. But something had grabbed her and pulled her sideways…and then nothing.

"Wake up, little one." a soft voice murmured in her ear, and she realized that she was being held by someone. Or something. Light brown eyes opening slowly, she blinked, then looked around. She was in a large frozen cave, surrounded by huge icicles that jutted up from the ground at odd angles. The girl could see that each frozen spire had something in it, but she couldn't make anything out except vague shapes. Looking down, she gasped in shock.

Below her was a large frozen pool of water, the icy surface acting like a mirror. It showed that Nicole was being held by a very large, white winged creature. Red eyes fixed on her brown ones, it spoke again.

"Do not be afraid, little one. I saved you from a nasty fall." the voice was deep, and tinged with kindness. The girl was speechless for a moment, then stammered, "W-who are y-you?"

"I am IceDevimon." Nicole stared. No...it couldn't be real. An actual Digimon? Impossible. But the cold air certainly seemed real, as did the thin arms wrapped around her waist. Breathing out softly, she closed her eyes for a moment.

"I am your partner, little one. I take orders from you, and you alone. Together, we can do anything." IceDevimon continued calmly, and Nicole looked at their reflection again. She had no idea where her friends were, but she figured that the Digimon holding her could help find them. But…do anything? Was he really that powerful?

"Could you help me find my friends?" she asked cautiously, still not entirely trusting him.

"I will follow your every command. But may I know my mistress's name?" he asked politely, giving her a small smile.  
"I am Nicole." the girl stated, deciding that she liked this strange Digimon. Although she was relatively new to the entire concept of Digimon, she was confident that she knew enough to stay alive. Still, she wanted to find out more about her new partner. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "How about we get on solid ground and talk some more? I want to know everything about this place."

His smile widening, IceDevimon nodded and spread his wings. "Of course, Nicole. I will take you somewhere warmer." With that, he beat his wings and launched into the cool air, quickly flying upwards and out of the frozen cavern.

- - -

**Author's Notes**: This is the start of 'Genesis', the first story arc of this fanfic. I hope you enjoy reading my take on the Digital World, and comments and reviews are always welcome.


	2. Decisions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Digimon, but I do claim rights to Kit, Sam, Amanda, and Nicole.

Chapter 2: Decisions

Kit came to slowly, worried that she might find herself Piedmon's captive. But no rope bound her, and there was no masked face leaning over her; grinning in glee at her capture. Instead, the girl realized that she was laying on a blanket, and that a fire was crackling close nearby.

Sitting up, she blinked to focus her vision, then smiled. Beside her, nestled a small blanket, sat the egg of the Digimon that had tried to hard to protect her. Reaching out, she patted its smooth side fondly, wondering when it was going to hatch. In her game, eggs hatched fairly quickly, but Kit had no idea how that sort of thing worked in the DigiWorld.

"Ah, you're up! How are you feeling?" Turning at the sound of a wizened voice, Kit paused for a second, looking in amazement at the short Digimon that had just appeared. "You're…Jijimon, right?" His face was almost entirely obscured by bushy white hair and a matching beard, but Kit sensed that he was friendly. Dressed in a ragged leather skin and carrying a staff with a cat's paw on the top, Jijimon was a Mega Digimon that had appeared in one of the Digimon games that Kit owned.

"Hohoho, that's right! I am Jijimon, and you and your partner are currently staying in my home. Now, how are you doing?" the Digimon chuckled, walking over by the fire and warming his hands.

"Oh, I'm doing fine. Bit hungry, but that's nothing new. Partner…you mean this?" Kit asked, pointing to the egg next to her. Jijimon turned around and nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, yes, that Digiegg will become your partner once it hatches. Which, by my estimate, should be any minute now. As for food, I think I have something." Moving over to a storage cupboard, the grizzled Digimon opened it and rummaged around in it for a minute, giving Kit time to absorb what she had been told. She, one of the DigiDestined? But why? And how had she gotten here? What about her friends?

Sighing in frustration at the number of unanswered questions she had, Kit decided to focus on the here and now first. Looking up, her jaw dropped at the sight of the apple pie Jijimon had put out. Seeing her expression, the Digimon chuckled, and held out a piece he had cut.

"I know it's a dessert, but it's the only human food I have right now." he said apologetically, but Kit merely shook her head. She didn't care if it was healthy or not, just as long as it filled her stomach. Taking the plate and a fork, the girl began to eat, glancing every few bites at the Digiegg beside her.

Settling down in a small stuffed chair, Jijimon waited until Kit had finished the piece of pie before starting to question her.

"How exactly did you get here?"

The teen then launched into an detailed explanation of what had happened, watching carefully as the Digimon reacted to what she told him.

"I see…then the portal worked correctly. Good, I was worried it had malfunctioned and had trapped you and you friends between the worlds. Jijimon muttered when she had finished. "Oh look! It's hatching!"

Kit turned and gazed in wonder at the Digiegg. It was shaking wildly, emitting small busts of light every time a fresh crack appeared on it's surface. Eyes wide, the girl watched as the Digiegg gave a final mighty shake and dissolved in a burst of golden light. Blinded for a moment, she blinked away the spots and gasped. A small metal mouse sat where the Digiegg had been, the light from the fire reflecting off of it's silver skin.

"That's MetalKoromon, Kit. He's your partner now." Jijimon said from his seat. Reaching out, Kit ran a finger over MetalKoromon's back, smiling down at the Baby Digimon. In return, his bent tail emitted a shower of sparks, which made her giggle. Picking him up, the girl turned back to Jijimon.

"You already knew my name…you had already picked us out as the DigiDestined while we were still on Earth, right?" she asked, seeing him nod.

"Yes. Although my power is fading faster than I thought, otherwise you all would have arrived outside my house as planned. Instead, you got separated, and Nicole was kidnapped by an evil Digimon." the Mega Digimon said solemnly, fingers gripping his staff tightly.

"What?! But what about Sam and Amanda? Are they ok?" Kit gasped, shocked that her friend had been grabbed.

"I don't know…" Jijimon answered, shaking his head slowly. "But I do know that you must find them if the DigiWorld has any chance of surviving. We Digimon need you humans to fight the evil that is threatening our world, which is the reason I brought you here. My power is fading rapidly, as is the power of most of the Digimon who have been fighting this evil force." Pausing, he hopped up from his chair and went over to a small chest. Opening it, the Digimon took out a small item and walked over to where Kit sat.

"You'll be needing this." he said simply, and Kit allowed Jijimon to place the item in her hand. Seeing what it was, she nodded in understanding. A red-and-yellow Digivice lay in her palm, the small screen blank for the moment. All DigiDestined got a Digivice of some kind, and the girl knew that they often came in handy. Tucking it in the pocket of her vest, Kit stood up and placed MetalKoromon on her shoulder.

"Thank you. Is there anything else I should know before I go?" she asked.

"Only that Sam and Amanda are somewhere in the Lotus Forest; the same place you were when you arrived. Also, if you ever need to return here quickly, choose the 'Base' option from the menu screen of your Digivice." Jijimon replied, walking with her to the door.

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind." Kit said, opening it and stepping outside. A pre-dawn breeze ruffled her light red hair, and turned back to Jijimon once more.

"Be careful. I no longer know what Digimon are in Lotus Forest, but there may still be a few friendly ones that might help you. Good luck." the Digimon said, closing the door and leaving Kit alone. Sighing, she looked around at her surroundings.

Jijimon's house sat at the top of a cliff, and Kit could see a massive plain stretching to the horizon at the bottom. The eastern sky was lightening quickly, and she knew that the sunrise wasn't far off. Turning around, she saw that a winding dirt path lead down the hill and into a forest. MetalKoromon squeaked, and Kit nodded.

"Alright, so that's the direction we go in. Although…I really hope we don't run into any Digimon. I'd rather not have you turn into a Digiegg again." Kit said, giving the Baby Digimon a soft smile. A bust of sparks met the remark, and after making sure the small creature wouldn't fall off her shoulder, the teen started to walk towards the dark trees.

- - -

"Er…I think we're lost…" Kit muttered, glancing around in confusion. The path had quickly vanished into the undergrowth that covered the forest floor, and the girl had been wandering around, hoping that she would just run into her friends. But the sun was now high overhead, and there was no sign of life. And aside from a few rustlings in the bushes, Kit had heard or seen nothing besides plant life since she had entered Lotus Forest.

Squeaking, MetalKoromon suddenly hopped from her shoulder to the ground and moved off into the bushes. Surprised, Kit quickly ran after her partner, only to find him sitting beside a small stream. Spinning around in a circle, MetalKoromon squeaked several times. Wondering what he was so excited about, Kit moved closer to the bank and peered into the water. Seconds later, she was pushed backwards as something leapt out of the water and landed on top of her.

"Hi! Hi!" the Digimon cried, snapping it's claws open and shut as Kit tried to gather her wits. "I'm Crabmon, and I'm gonna help you!" The girl stared at the blue crab Digimon that was sitting on her stomach, her mind not fully getting what he was saying.

"Help me…?" she finally repeated, sitting up as Crabmon skittered sideways onto the ground.

"Yep, yep. What do you need help with?" he asked happily, bright green eyes fixed on her face. MetalKoromon had remained quiet through the outburst, simply content to sit on the ground and listen.

"Er…well, I'm here to find my friends, but I don't know where they are. Have you seen two humans lately?" Kit asked.

"Yep! They went that way not too long ago." the Rookie Digimon replied, pointing to the left with a claw. But you don't wanna follow them. Nope, nope. They were taken to Musyamon. He's now in control of Lotus Lake…" Crabmon said sadly, clicking his claws open and shut.

"Musyamon moved in right after the evil force appeared, right?"

"Yep, yep. He and the bunch of Gazimon he rules over have scared most of the weaker Digimon off, and has defeated anyone who has tried to challenge him. If you went to see him now, your MetalKoromon wouldn't stand a chance." the small Digimon answered.

"I see…I guess I have to wait until MetalKoromon Digivolves, then." Kit muttered, upset that she was powerless to rescue her friends.

"Nope, nope. You can't wait. Musyamon said he was going to control the entire forest soon, and he almost has enough Gazimon to do it! You need to stop him now, before he gets any more powerful." Crabmon said, turning away walking along the river. Getting up, Kit picked up her partner and followed him.

"But you said we're too weak! How can we defeat him like this?" she protested, wondering what the Digimon was thinking.

"You gotta make MetalKoromon Digivolve, and fast. Yep, yep, you'll do that by fighting me."

"But…" Kit trailed off, trying to think of a good argument against battling Crabmon. She did want MetalKoromon to Digivolve, but she was reluctant to force the Baby Digimon to fight. Instead, the metal mouse Digimon on her shoulder made the decision for her. Once more hopping off her shoulder, the small creature bolted in front of Crabmon and turned to face him, tail sparking wildly.

Kit opened her mouth to protest, but then thought better of it. If MetalKoromon wanted to fight, she wasn't about to stop him. Turning to the human, Crabmon reassured her. "Don't worry, I won't hurt your partner. Nope, nope, just gonna let him attack me. So come on then!" he called out, facing MetalKoromon again.

Kit moved out of the way and sat underneath a tree to watch the training, but ready to step in if need be. MetalKoromon was still for a moment, then charged at Crabmon, bouncing off his hard shell when they connected. Clicking his claws together, the crab Digimon cried, "Nope, nope, use your abilities! Physical battles aren't for you." MetalKoromon then emitted a thin stream of silvery power, which Crabmon blocked with his claws.

"Better, better! Try to put more power in Powder Blow, MetalKoromon."

- - -

"Good, good, you've improved!" Kit turned her attention from the stream back to where Crabmon and MetalKoromon were, happy to see that they were taking a break. Crabmon hadn't moved from where he had stood almost two hours ago, and was brushing the powder off that now covered his shell. MetalKoromon was also still, and Kit wondered how much more the small Digimon could do. A beeping noise caught her attention, and she pulled her Digivice out of her pocket. The device was beeping, and the screen was glowing. Peering closer, Kit saw that a line of vertical bars had formed, and that the top one was flashing.

Realizing what it meant, she called out, "MetalKoromon, use Powder Blow once more." The small Digimon squeaked and sent out a blast of silver powder, which, much to his partner's surprise, sent Crabmon tumbling backwards. Glancing down again, Kit saw the top bar stop flashing, then looked up to see MetalKoromon being engulfed by a sphere of white light. When it faded, a slightly larger purple-and-white Digimon appeared. Sunlight glinting off of his metallic helmet and the two sharp spikes that protruded from the top, he twitched his striped tail and bounded towards Kit.

"Hey, I Digivolved! I'm Kapurimon now!" he said, voice filled with excitement. Bouncing in a circle around the teen, Kapurimon giggled, then stopped and looked up at his partner.

"The training worked, Kit. So c'mon, let's go find your friends!" he said, red eyes fixed on her light brown ones. Kneeling down to his level, Kit shook her head.

"You're forgetting what Crabmon said…Musyamon is a Champion Digimon, and a strong one at that. You're still an In-Training Digimon, and not strong enough to beat him." she said, but she could hear the doubt in her own voice. She _did_ want to go find her friends, but she wasn't willing to risk Kapurimon becoming a Digiegg again.

"Aw, don't be like that! I stood up to Piedmon, remember? 'Sides, I'm sure I'll get stronger before we face him." Kapurimon replied, pouting slightly.

"But…no. I won't let you get hurt again, Kapurimon. And that's final." the girl added when she saw that he was going to protest. The small Digimon was silent for a moment, then smiled brightly. "Okay, we'll wait. I'll keep training with Crabmon for a few more days. But after that, we have to face Musyamon. Lotus Forest was my home, and I'm not letting him have it!"

Kit looked at him, surprised at the note of anger in her partner's voice. Reluctantly she nodded in agreement, hoping that a few days' of hard training would pay off.


	3. Breakout

Chapter 3: Breakout

"How long do you think we'll be here?" Sam asked as he stared at the stone floor of their prison. He and Amanda had spent the rest of the afternoon and night stuck in Gazimon's pit, during which they had witnessed a strange storm in the sky. It had clouded over rapidly around midnight, and then the clouds had emitted a strange blue-white glow. A silent storm had started, with lightning flashing but no thunder or rain. Sam thought he had seen shapes behind the clouds during the flashes of light, but he wasn't able to tell what they were. The 13-year old had even thought he saw columns of light burst out of the clouds, but the depth of the pit kept him from seeing where they landed.

Gazimon had finally arrived back in the morning, bringing with him a band of other Gazimon. They had tied Sam and Amanda up and had forced the humans to march through the forest to a large lake with a island in the middle, where they were now being held.

"I don't know…but I hope Kit and Nicole are alright." Amanda replied softly, brown eyes gazing out at the Gazimon guard that lurked outside their cell. The Gazimon (not the same one who had captured them) merely bared his teeth and turned away.

"I'm sure they are." Sam replied confidently, but he had his doubts. Were his two friends out in the Digital World, or had they been captured as well? Blue eyes closing, he sighed and shifted impatiently. He was getting sick of just sitting here, waiting for…well, what _were _they waiting for?

Opening his eyes, Sam looked at the guard Gazimon and figured he might as well ask him.

"Hey Gazimon? Why exactly are we here?" The purple cat Digimon turned towards him surprised at the question.

"Eh? Y'mean that dolt didn't tell you?" Realizing that he was referring to the Gazimon that had captured them, Sam shrugged.

"Said something about meeting his Boss…" he replied evasively, hoping that the Rookie would spill some information.

His ruse worked, as the Gazimon snorted and shook his head. "Idiot. Y'see, the Digimon that rules this lake got wind that some humans had appeared and that they might be causing some trouble, so he decided to capture you to make sure that didn't happen. But from the looks of things, Boss shouldn't have bee so worried. You two are useless."

Shaking his head again, the Gazimon straightened up and padded towards the hallway that lead away from the prison. Wondering why the Digimon wasn't calling another guard down, Sam watched as the Gazimon peered out the door than turned back to him. "I'm going to grab a quick snack. Be back in a few." Blinking, he waited until the click of the Digimon's claws had faded before turning to Amanda.

"We know why we're here, now. But I wonder…why didn't Gazimon call someone to watch us?" he said, watching the girl shrug.

"Probably didn't want to get yelled at or something. Those Gazimon seem to bicker a lot." she replied, still looking out at the small area outside their cell. The cell composed of half the room, with thick wooden bars that prevented them from escaping.

"Yeah…" Sam muttered, remembering the insults that the group of Gazimon had called each other while moving the two teens. They had argued almost the entire time, and Sam did not want to have the endure such a thing again. Aside from leaving him with a headache, the Gazimon had made the journey through the woods anything but relaxing. Noticing that Amanda was now gazing intently at something outside their cell, he turned to see what she was looking at.

A pile of crates was stacked up in the far corner, but as far as he could tell, there was nothing unusual about them. Each box was stamped with the words 'Mon Manufacturing', but other than that, they appeared to be a perfectly ordinary stack of wooden boxes. Shifting, Sam stared intently at the crates, but he could not see what was so interesting.

"What's over there?" he finally asked, after failing to see what Amanda found so engaging about a bunch of boxes. Waving him silent, the girl moved to kneel next to the wooden bars, and called softly, "You can come out now, the Gazimon is gone."

Wondering if his friend had lost her mind, Sam was about to explain that there were no box Digimon when the lid of the topmost crate rattled slightly. Freezing, he watched as the lid slowly slid to the side, then gulped as six small claws grabbed the edge of the box. Then a small blue head peered over the top, black button eyes taking in the two humans warily. After a moment of hesitation, the small Digimon jumped out of the box and landed on a lower crate.

"Aw, it's so cute!" Amanda gasped, while Sam just stared at it. A deep blue, tadpole-shaped Digimon sat in front of them, black eyes still examining the teens. Two short forelegs ended in three small claws, and it's stubby hind legs had three claws as well. The Digimon's tail ended with a bony projection covered with a thin membrane.

"It's an Otamamon…an amphibian Rookie Digimon." Sam explained, suddenly feeling the urge to say something to ease the tension in the small room. The small Digimon smiled widely and nodded, looking pleased that it had been identified.

"Hey there, Otamamon. I'm Amanda, and this is Sam." Amanda said with a smile and a small wave.

"Nice to meet you!" the walking tadpole replied, and Sam was surprised to hear that the voice was that of a female. He had always assumed that there were female Digimon, but he had expected the Otamamon to be a male. Otamamon jumped down from the crates and over to them, tail swishing back and forth happily.

"Why were you hiding in that box?" Sam asked, crawling up next to Amanda and peering through the bars of the cell. Frowning, the small Digimon glanced at the door and whispered, "Because if Musyamon catches me, he'll delete me…"

"Musyamon?" Sam and Amanda asked together, giving each other a confused look.

"That's the Digimon whose ordering the Gazimon around." Otamamon said, shivering slightly at the name. Sam sat back and sighed. He had never heard of Musyamon before, and _he_ was the expert on Digimon in the group. The teen had no idea how strong this Musyamon was, and since Gazimon were fairly weak anyway, he might not be that powerful.

"He must be the one who captured us, Sam. But what can we do? We don't have any weapons we could use to fight against him." Amanda said worriedly. Nodding silently, Sam knew that there was nothing they could do.

"Hey! You guys have me! Before Musyamon came, we Otamamon called Lotus Lake our home. But Musyamon deleted anyone who tried to fight him, and all of my friends are now gone…" Otamamon said, a note of sadness in her voice.

"You'll help us defeat Musyamon?" Amanda asked, giving the small Digimon a comforting smile.

"Of course! But I better hide before that Gazimon comes back." Smiling at both of the humans, the Rookie Digimon turned and quickly scrambled back to her hiding place, pulling the lid shut just as the Gazimon guard strolled back in. Holding an apple in one paw, he bit into it and ignored the captives, content to lean against a crate and eat.

Sam returned to his spot at the back of the cell, leaning against the stone wall and tilting his head up to gaze at the ceiling.

- - -

"How long have we been in here?" Sam muttered to the floor, hearing the Gazimon guard snicker at the question.

"Too long…" Amanda mumbled in return. Sighing, the 13-year-old raised his had and eyed the long-eared Digimon outside their cell. By his estimate, they had been captured three days ago, but it was hard to tell, since the room had no windows. The Otamamon had chatted with them a few times since they had first met, and they had planned a strategy to escape and find Digimon who would help them defeat Musyamon. It involved attacking while the guard was away, and Sam could tell that the Gazimon near them was getting bored.

Although the Gazimon that served under Musyamon were numerous, they weren't cut out for guard duty. They often fell asleep or wandered away to get food or find a quiet spot to doze off, leaving the two humans alone in their cell. Yawning, the Gazimon blinked, red eyes half-open. Sam had noticed that every Gazimon had red eyes except for the original Gazimon which had captured them. He had no idea why that particular Digimon's eyes were different, and knew better than to ask.

Stretching, the Gazimon turned and walked out of the room, the two humans watching in silence as it left. Sam and Amanda waited for ten minutes to ensure that the Rookie Digimon wasn't returning, then smiled at each other. Moving to the front of the cell, Amanda called out to the Otamamon. "The coast is clear. Let's go." The lid of topmost crate was quickly pushed aside, and the small tadpole Digimon hopped out and down onto the floor. Black eyes bright with excitement, Otamamon moved until she was right next to the wooden bars of the cell, then raised her right forearm.

"Kid Claw!" The wooden slats rattled as Otamamon's sharp claws slashed through them, forcing Amanda to quickly scramble backwards to avoid flying splinters. Sam watched with fascination as the small Digimon shuffled backwards, then charged towards the weakened bars; flipping over at the very last second and allowing her tail to smash into them. The wooden bars shattered at the impact, creating a large hole through which the two young teens quickly crawled through.

"That was my Slamming Attack." Otamamon said proudly as the exited the room and started to walk down the tunnel that would hopefully lead them to the exit. Sam warily looked around, keeping alert for any Gazimon that might stumble across them.

"Wow, I didn't realize you were so strong, Otamamon!" Amanda murmured, smiled down at the Rookie Digimon.

"My power is nothing compared to Musyamon's. If we are going to beat him, we need to gather some strong Digimon who won't be afraid to face him." Otamamon replied, looking worried at the mention of the Digimon who had forced her into hiding.

Hopping ahead, the Digimon peered around a corner and beckoned them closer. Stopping behind her, Sam could hear the sound of snoring coming from the other corridor, and assumed that a Gazimon was asleep nearby. He stared in surprise as Amanda bent down and scooped up Otamamon, hearing her whisper, "She's not fast enough to get by the Gazimon without it waking up, so I'm going to carry her."

Frowning, he thought his friend was being slightly overprotective of the small Digimon, but just shrugged and nodded. Poking his head around the corner, he saw a Gazimon curled up next to a set of stairs leading upwards. Moving slowly, he crept up to and past the sleeping Digimon, then quietly climbed the stairs it was guarding. At the top, Sam glanced back and saw that Amanda and Otamamon were at the bottom, then glanced around for another guard. Seeing none, he moved further down the tunnel and waited for the other two to join him.

"Otamamon, where's the next set of stairs?" he whispered when Amanda stopped beside him. "At the end of this tunnel, turn right and they're right there. After that, just follow the tunnel and we'll reach the main entrance to this building." she whispered back. Nodding, Sam began walking again, hoping that they would get past any more Gazimon safely.

The small group had to pass three more Gazimon, all of whom were asleep, before they stopped again. Peering around a corner, he saw yet another snoozing Digimon, who was curled up next to closed wooden door. Realizing that the entrance to the building was beyond that door, Sam cautiously moved towards the sleeping Gazimon and tugged on the wooden handle. To his relief, it opened, and he held it open while Amanda and Otamamon went through. Throwing a last look at the Gazimon, he slipped into the next room and quietly closed the door behind him. At the click of the latch, the Gazimon snorted and woke up, expecting to see another of his kind standing over him and snarling about the fact he had fallen asleep. Confused that the tunnel was empty, he sniffed and caught the scent of humans and another Digimon. Red eyes narrowed his glee, the Digimon got up and took off down the tunnel. He had to alert the Boss to this!

- - -

Kit knelt in the damp bushes next to a large lake. Crabmon was somewhere beneath the calm waters of Lotus Lake, moving towards the bridge that connected the island in the middle to the shore. On the island sat a two-story wooden building, it's roof covered in light green rounded shingles with contrasting dark blue ones on the sides of the structure. The entire thing was made from wood, and the teen noted that it bore a resemblance to a Japanese shrine that she had once seen on television. Glancing to her left, Kit smiled at her partner, who was also looking out at the lake.

Crabmon's training had paid off. Kapurimon had Digivolved to his Rookie form a day and a half after becoming and In-Training Digimon. He was now ToyAgumon, the same Digimon that had stood up the Piedmon. Since her partner had Digivolved, they had stayed hidden in the forest, resting for the upcoming battle. Emerald eyes were fixed on the wooden building, and she knew that the multi-coloured Digimon was waiting for Crabmon's signal to attack. Kit was nervous about facing off against a Champion Digimon, but both Crabmon and ToyAgumon seemed eager to fight the one who had taken control of their home, so she tried to appear calm and ready for the battle.

"Look, there goes Crabmon!" ToyAgumon whispered, and Kit turned her attention back to the bridge. The blue crustacean Digimon was climbing up one of the posts that held up the bridge, sneaking up on the four Gazimon that were guarding the entrance to the building. Although the Gazimon were awake, the all looked rather bored, and didn't notice Crabmon climbing over the railing behind them. Kit watched as the Rookie Digimon swung down from the railing and started to attack the Gazimon, grabbing them by the tail with his strong claws and tossing them into the water. One of the guards attempted to attack Crabmon, but a swift uppercut from his larger left claw made the Digimon fly into the lake.

"That's our cue." Kit muttered as the bridge was cleared of Gazimon. The cat-like Gazimon were slowly swimming towards the shore, and she could already hear them growling at each other. Standing up, she brushed some dead leaves off her jeans and quickly ran around the lakeshore to the bridge, ToyAgumon right beside her. Jogging across it, they halted in front of Crabmon, who was waiting in front of a set of large wooden doors. Painted blue and green, they bore an image of a large water droplet encircled by two chains made up of smaller water droplets.

"This is the Lotus Temple, where Digimon used to come and enjoy festivals each year. Three rivers and a small stream meet here to form Lotus Lake, and aquatic Digimon used those to travel to the festivals. But since Musyamon came, all the other Digimon had stayed away." ToyAgumon explained.

"So if we beat Musyamon, the other Digimon will come back, right?" Kit asked, still admiring the decoration on the doors.

"Yep, yep. We need to free Lotus Forest from Musyamon's control and rescue your friends." Crabmon confirmed, turning to face the doors. Nodding, Kit reached out and pushed the doors apart, hearing them creak as the hinges slowly moved. Crabmon slipped through the gap first, then Kit and ToyAgumon entered once the doors had opened fully.

The huge foyer was decorated in similar colours as the outside of the Temple, except that they were more muted. But Kit was focusing on the bunch of Gazimon that were standing in the middle of the room. The majority of them were smirking, and several bore grins on their faces.

"Guess they expected us." Kit said, stepping back and letting the two Digimon with her move forwards.

"Yep, yep." Crabmon said, claws clicking open and shut as he eyed the Gazimon. Snorting, one of the Gazimon spoke up. "The Boss expected you to show up eventually. But your friends are deep within this building, and you'll have to get past all of us to find them!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but we're right here." a voice said. Everyone turned towards the source and stared in surprise. There, standing near a small wooden door, were Sam, Amanda, and a small tadpole Digimon. All three were glaring at the Gazimon in anger. Happy that her friends had managed to get free, Kit turned back to the group of Rookie Digimon. "Let's show these Gazimon what we're made of!" she said, and ToyAgumon nodded.

"Alright! Toy Flame!"

- - -

Far away from the Lotus Temple, two figures watched the unfolding battle. Although clearly outnumbered, ToyAgumon, Crabmon, and Otamamon were making quick work of knocking out the Gazimon.

"Why don't they delete the Gazimon? They obviously have enough power to do so." Nicole said as she watched the fight. IceDevimon had raised a sheet of ice from the frozen lake and had manipulated it so that is showed events far away from where they were.

"They haven't learned yet how to properly delete a Digimon, and even if they knew, I doubt they would. You see, those humans have been called to the DigiWorld to restore 'peace' to the realm, and they often try to do in a non-violent way, such as not deleting the Digimon they battle against." IceDevimon explained. Pausing for a moment, he continued. "But those Digimon that believe in so-called peace do not realize that they would live in utter chaos. The DigiWorld needs order, and that requires a ruler who would make the decisions that otherwise wouldn't be addressed. Your friends and the Digimon who help them don't understand that the Digital World cannot function as efficiently if it doesn't have a ruler. So they fight against it, resisting the call for order and stability, which would then lead to the peace they wish for."

"So they need to be gotten rid of if the DigiWorld is to return to peace." Nicole muttered, eyes fixed on the faces of her friends as they fought the remaining Gazimon.

"Correct. But they are your friends, and I did say that I would help re-unite you with them, Nicole." Turning, she looked up into his red eyes and shook her head. "No. The obviously don't understand that they are ruining the DigiWorld. When you explained everything to me about Digimon, you said that you could give me power. I want the power to bring order to the DigiWorld, and that means making sure that they won't be able to stop me."

"Of course, Nicole. I can give you that power. But let's see how this battle ends before we do anything else." her partner replied. Nodding, Nicole turned back to the ice mirror, brown eyes narrowed in expectation.


	4. A Difficult Fight, Part I

Chapter 4: A Difficult Fight. Part I

"Toy Flame!"

"Stun Bubble!" The last two Gazimon collapsed after being hit with ToyAgumon and Otamamon's attacks, leaving the way clear to go deeper into Lotus Temple. The large room was littered with the bodies of unconscious Rookie Digimon, the end result of a battle between Musyamon's forces and the three humans.

"Alright, that wasn't so bad…" Kit muttered, surveying the damage done to the foyer. The walls were scorched in many places from the fire and electric attacks, and one tattered tapestry was smoking. The floor was covered in pools of water, and broken boards were everywhere. Sighing, she rubbed the back of her neck and looked around at her friends.

Amanda was kneeling down beside the small tadpole Digimon who she saw was an Otamamon, and Sam was curiously examining her own partner, ToyAgumon. Crabmon had left to stand guard outside and deal with any Gazimon who had been away on patrol, but from what Kit could hear, all was quiet. The 13-year-old suspected that there were more Gazimon further inside, but she decided to deal with them later.

Walking over to ToyAgumon, she asked, "How are you doing?"

Bright green eyes looked up at her as the small dinosaur smiled. "I'm fine! That Gazimon were nothing thanks to Crabmon's training." Smiling in return, Kit nodded. "That's good. From what I saw, those Gazimon were pretty weak anyway."

"Kit, what happened after you came to the Digital World?" Turning, the girl saw that Amanda was beside her, Otamamon in her arms. Grinning, she replied, "Well, you see…" She went on to outline what had happened to her, then listened carefully as Sam filled her in on what had taken place to him and Amanda.

- - -

"So whatever this evil force is, it's causing other Digimon that want power to rise up and start gathering support from weaker Digimon that share their views. That would be why Musyamon suddenly took over Lotus Lake; he had gathered enough Gazimon to ensure that anyone who opposed him could be defeated." Sam mused aloud, running a hand through his short black hair.

"Seems like it." Kit agreed. "And Crabmon said that Musyamon is strong, possibly enough to defeat the Champions who challenged him." she added, glancing at the two Rookie Digimon.

"But we're strong too!" ToyAgumon exclaimed, seeing his partner's concern. Otamamon nodded rapidly, saying, "Besides, you're also a DigiDestined, Kit. That has to count for something."

"I suppose…" Kit said, still feeling worried. She didn't want to lose now that she had come this far, especially since Musyamon was so close.

"Is that why Musyamon captured us?" Amanda asked suddenly. Seeing Sam and Kit look at her in confusion, she explained. "One of the Gazimon said that Musyamon didn't want the humans causing trouble, so he had us imprisoned. Since Kit's already a DigiDestined, does that mean Sam and I are too?"

Kit was silent for a moment, thinking. _Jijimon didn't say anything about my friends being DigiDestined, but it's possible. Still, I don't want to get their hopes up…_ Meeting Amanda's gaze, she smiled slightly and shrugged. "Maybe. How about we ask Jijimon once we finish up here?"

"Sure!" Sam and Amanda said together, looking happy at the idea. Nodding, she turned to ToyAgumon. "Ready to fight?"

"You bet!" her partner replied. Smiling, she looked at Otamamon. "Can you lead the way?"

The small blue Digimon responded by leaping out of Amanda's arms and hopping towards a large wooden door that faced the entranceway. Like the double doors leading into the temple, the door in front of them bore the image of a large droplet of water, but this one was lacking the circles of connected water drops. Pushing it open, Kit led the way down the passageway, admiring the woven tapestries hung on the walls. Each one had an aquatic Digimon as the main subject, with some strange text written underneath. Tunnels branched off on either side, but no Gazimon jumped out of them as the group passed.

After descending a short flight of stairs, the humans and Digimon stopped in front of another door. Unlike the previous two, this door was made of stone, and was undecorated. Kit reached out and pushed on it, but nothing happened. Puzzled, she stared at the door, the turned to her friends. "Any idea on how to open it?" she asked.

Amanda, Sam and ToyAgumon shook their heads, but Otamamon piped up. "Legend says that only the holder of Suijinmon's data can open this door. Since Musyamon doesn't have the item, he's obviously not in there."

"Very good, worm. You managed to figure it out." a voice sneered from behind them. Turning, Kit glared at the golden-eyed Gazimon leaning against the side of the tunnel. Snorting, the cat-like Rookie waved a paw. "The Boss ordered me to bring you to him, but I hardly see the point. You'll never defeat him."

Frowning, Kit decided not to answer, but Amanda didn't hold back. "Listen furball, I'm sick of you making remarks like that! How about you just do your job and take us to Musyamon?" Kit looked at her best friend in surprise. It was rare to see her so worked up, but the teen was obviously angry.

Shrugging nonchalantly, the Gazimon turned and strolled back the way they had came, glancing back once to twice and smirking at the humans. The group followed along, casting dark glances at each other. Kit didn't trust the cat Digimon leading them, and she was certain that no one else did either.

They stopped in front of a set of large wooden doors, similar to the ones that were at the entrance to the temple. But these doors were devoid of decoration, and Gazimon stepped forward and pushed them open easily. They swung open silently, revealing a massive room. Kit paused for a moment, then entered the huge space, awed at the sheer size of it. The ceiling was high above them, and the teen guessed that the height of the room was at least two storeys. It was wide, but not very long, but the girl was focussed on Musyamon, who was standing in the centre of the room.

Standing at just under six feet tall, the Champion-level Digimon was a fearsome sight. He was clad in red samurai armour that covered his shoulders, left arm and hips, with a matching helmet on his head that covered his neck and came down over his eyes. Along the front and top of the helmet was the face of a grinning monster, cast out of what seemed to be gold. Red armour in the shape of a horned and fanged face covered his kneecaps and the back of his hands, and the Digimon was a gripping a sword in his right hand. A tan vest and pants offered added protection, the vest being decorated with a purple symbol, and a ragged light purple cape could be seen around the Digimon's shoulders and reached just past his waist. While his right foot had a purple sock and wore a sandal, Musyamon's left foot was much larger, was wrapped in bandages, and ended in three red claws.

Kit swallowed hard as she stared at Musyamon, hardly noticing that the golden-eyed Gazimon was now standing just behind him. Gold eyes scanning the small cluster in front of him, the Champion Digimon chuckled and stepped forward.

"So these are the humans who have appeared in this part of the Digital World…although you don't seem like much of a threat, I'm convinced that you are. Wouldn't want you interfering with my plans, now would I?" Musyamon said, his voice surprisingly soft and elegant despite his menacing appearance. Kit suspected that it was his voice that had lured many of the Gazimon to join him, not just his power.

"And here you are, having fought your way through my Gazimon guards to face me. I must say, I'm honoured that you are brave enough to fight someone on my strength and skill." Giving a short bow and a smile which revealed sharp, pointed teeth, Musyamon twirled his sword with one hand before gripping it in both and levelling it at the group. "I'll give you the distinction of attacking first, seeing as how you only have Rookies on your side."

Kit narrowed his eyes and glanced at ToyAgumon, who quickly nodded and stepped forward. Behind her, Otamamon hopped out of Amanda's arms and moved up beside the colourful Rookie Digimon.

"Toy Flame!"

"Wrapping Bubble!" ToyAgumon spat a small fireball at Musyamon, while Otamamon issued a cloud of small bubbles from her mouth, also aimed at the opposing Digimon. A quick slash of his sword negated the fireball, which dissolved in a bust of data, but the bubbles proved to be more difficult, sticking to his armour and forming a circle around his body. Irritated, Musyamon swatted at them, but his hands merely slid off the slick sides of the bubbles. The three humans had quickly backed off to give their Digimon more room to fight, and the Gazimon had also moved to crouch near a wall along the side.

Seeing an opening while the armoured Digimon tried to pop the bubbles, Kit's partner formed a fist and made a punching motion towards the enemy. "Block Punch!" A large block of red Lego appeared and shot towards Musyamon, who hadn't noticed until it was too late. The attack struck him in the chest, and he stumbled backwards, only to be hit with another set of Wrapping Bubbles from Otamamon. Eyes narrowed, the Champion Digimon chuckled and grasped the ring of bubbles around his waist, quickly pulling them off and watched as the vanished in a cloud of data particles. "Not bad for two Rookies. But now it's my turn." Shifting so that his sword was pointing outward, Musyamon paused a moment, then leapt towards the smaller Digimon.

"Shogun Sword!" he cried, sweeping his blade in a wide horizontal arc. ToyAgumon managed to jump backwards, but Otamamon was struck by the attack and was sent crashing into the wall. "Otamamon!" Amanda cried, but was held back from rushing over to the tadpole Digimon by Sam.

"Don't go over there, Amanda. You might get attacked!" Sam whispered, casting a worried glance at the sword-wielding Digimon. Shaking him off, Amanda frowned, but watched as Otamamon slowly raised herself up and hopped back to join the battle. ToyAgumon was bravely dodging his opponent's attacks, ducking and jumping to avoid the swinging sword. Seeing that Musyamon's back was turned, the small blue Digimon took at deep breath and fired a round of bubbles at his back. "Stun Bubble!" The cluster of bubbles exploded onto the tattered cape and knocked the Champion forward onto the floor.

"Toy Flame!" ToyAgumon took advantage of the situation to pepper Musyamon with orange fireballs as the other struggled back to his feet. Letting out a roar of anger, the armour-clad warrior turned around and charged straight at Otamamon, sword raised above his head. "**Shogun Sword!**" he roared, driving the sharp blade down towards the tadpole Digimon. Outmatched but still willing to fight, Otamamon leaped towards his chest, right claw extended and glowing. "Kid Claw!"

Her attack hit seconds before Musyamon's, leaving three rips in the fabric of the vest that also went through the purple symbol before being knocked backwards and slamming into the wall once more. Otamamon glowed white and shrank, revealing a small light green shape lying motionless on the floor.

"She devolved into Pabumon!" Kit gasped, recognizing the Fresh Digimon. Realizing how close Otamamon had come to being deleted, she glared at Musyamon. The Digimon was poised, sword raised and ready to stab the helpless Pabumon when a cry echoed through the room.

"No! I won't let you!" Distracted, Musyamon hesitated for a moment, allowing ToyAgumon enough time to launch an attack. "Toy Flame!" The fireball hit the damp cape and burned through it easily, leaving blackened hole and a scorch mark on the vest underneath. Lowering his sword slowly, Musyamon turned and smiled grimly at Kit's partner.

"Very well, little one. Since you seem so keen to defend a weak Digimon, then I'll fight you." he said softly, walking towards ToyAgumon. Emerald eyes narrowed, ToyAgumon nodded once. As soon as the armoured Champion had moved away from Pabumon, Amanda ran to the small Digimon, picking up her unconscious form and rushed back to the group. Musyamon ignored her, gold eyes focused on his smaller opponent.

ToyAgumon suddenly ran towards him, fist pummelling the air as he moved. "You'll pay for that! Block Punch!" A flurry of Lego blocks were fired at the warrior Digimon, who responded by chopping them in half with his sword or merely using his weapon to block them, all the while advancing steadily closer to the multi-coloured dinosaur. Kit wanted to step in and help her partner out, but she could do nothing but stand by and watch as attack after attack was deflected by Musyamon.

She now saw that the Champion Digimon had been holding back his full power, but Otamamon's attack had infuriated him so much that he was intent on finishing the Digimon off. If ToyAgumon couldn't defeat him, Kit knew that both him and Pabumon would be deleted, and the humans imprisoned, unable to stop the darkness from taking over the Digital World.

"Shogun Sword!" ToyAgumon cried out at the attack struck him, causing him to fly backward and skid across the floor. Struggling to his feet, he was about to launch another attack, but Musyamon beat him to it. "Ninja Blade!" His sword became a blur as it slashed and jabbed at the smaller Digimon, a final swipe forcing ToyAgumon to back against the wall. Kit gasped upon seeing the sight of her partner. Blue liquid streamed from numerous cuts all over his body, and the dinosaur Digimon was swaying and panting heavily. Pointing the tip of his sword straight at ToyAgumon's head, the larger Digimon raised it slowly, emitting a low laugh.

"Well, well, so this is how it ends? I must admit, you two were an amusing distraction, but both you and that Pabumon have failed like all the Digimon before you. Don't feel sorry; just enjoy the feeling of being able to rest after a harsh battle." Although Kit couldn't see, she could sense that Musyamon was grinning, obviously enjoying his victory.

Sinking to her knees, Kit lowered her head, light brown eyes filling with tears. She couldn't bear to watch her partner be deleted. "ToyAgumon…no…" she whispered, thinking that Jijimon had been wrong. She wasn't a DigiDestined; a mere Champion Digimon had beaten her. Taking out her Digivice from her vest pocket, she stared at the blank screen, blurrily seeing teardrops on it.

"Shogun Sword." The calm words broke into her thoughts, and Kit closed her eyes. _I'm sorry…_ she thought, trying not to imagine what would happen next. She had witnessed it several nights before, when Piedmon had turned ToyAgumon back into a Digiegg, but she sensed this time would be different. There would be no egg after Musyamon was done.

A bright light caused her to squeeze her eyes shut even more, but when it didn't go away, she cautiously opened them. Her Digivice's screen was glowing brightly, and she gaped at it. No, it couldn't be…

A beam of white light shot out of the screen and enveloped ToyAgumon seconds before Musyamon's sword touched him. Surprised, the Champion Digimon quickly backed off as the ball of light expanded. Kit watched in amazement at the globe of light.

"ToyAgumon Digivolve to…**Clockmon!**"

- - -

**Author's Notes**: Sorry about the long wait between chapters. School assignments and exams took up most of my free time, but now that I'm on summer break, I'll be able to write more.


	5. A Difficult Fight, Part II

Chapter 5: A Difficult Fight, Part II

As the sphere of bright light slowly melted away, Musyamon backed off several more paces, sword held diagonally in front of him to block any attack. Kit couldn't believe that ToyAgumon - _her partner _-had manage to Digivolve. And his Champion form was just as odd as his previous one.

Now standing at about five feet tall, Clockmon was a bizarre mix of machine and humanoid parts. Most of his body consisted of what looked like an alarm clock which had sprouted arms and legs, the hands on the clock twisted and bent so that the time displayed was at 8:40. The clock face itself broken along the upper right side, allowing a red eye to peer out of the opening. Sticking out of the top of the alarm clock was a figure dressed in grey, with bright red gloves and a matching hood. The hood obscured most of his face, but light brown eyes gazed calmly through openings cut in the cloth. His mouth had large stitches running across it, and both hands grasped a metal hammer that was mounted on a long pole. Kit could just make out a large gold object that was jutting out of Clockmon's back that was slowly turning, causing the clock part to emit a ticking noise.

"Still willing to fight me, Musyamon?" Clockmon asked, and the teen was surprised at how deep his voice sounded compared to ToyAgumon's high-pitched one. The warrior Digimon snorted loudly and replied, "Better Digimon that you have faced me and lost. You pose no threat to me, Clockmon."

"We shall see." Kit's partner replied, taking a step towards the other Champion and smiling.

"Clockmon's responsible for time, isn't he?" Sam muttered to Kit, looking just as surprised as she was. "Yeah, he keeps time flowing smoothly throughout the Digital World." Kit replied, glancing down at her Digivice. The screen had stopped glowing, and it now looked normal.

"Even so, I'm not sure he can win. Musyamon seems pretty strong." the male continued, sounding apprehensive as the two Champion Digimon continued to eye each other. "I have faith in him." she declared, giving him and Amanda a confident smile.

"Shogun Sword!" Musyamon's shout brought her attention back to the battle, and she winced as metal rasped against metal, Clockmon blocking the sword thrust with the shaft on the hammer. The two Digimon remained deadlocked for a moment, each pushing against the other to try and get his opponent to withdraw. The mechanical Digimon managed to shove Musyamon back a few steps, then raised his hammer high above his head.

"Chrono Breaker!" he called, slamming the hammer down hard onto the advancing warrior's head. Kit noted that the ticking sound had stopped as Clockmon attacked, and continued to remain silent as the attack took effect. Musyamon was briefly engulfed in a wave of shifting colours, and remained frozen in the attack pose as the hammer lifted from his helmet.

Clockmon quickly moved around the unmoving swordsman, backing into the middle of the large room. Pausing for a moment, the Champion then swung the hammer at Musyamon's exposed back, striking him at the exact moment the red-clad Digimon started to move again. The combined momentum of his forward movement and Clockmon's second attack made the warrior go crashing into the wall, cracking the wood panelling and causing splinters to go flying.

Growling in anger, Musyamon quickly climbed to his feet and faced Kit's partner. "Not bad for a supposedly neutral Digimon. But I doubt you can fight two Champions!" Kit frowned, wondering if the last attack had done something to Musyamon's head. Aside from her partner, he was the only Champion Digimon in the room…she then noticed that the Gazimon who had led the group to the room was snickering.

Focussing on him, the teen watched as the cat-like Rookie sneered at the humans and swaggered over to his master, tail flicking in anticipation.

"What do you mean?" Clockmon asked, sounding just as puzzled as Kit was. Lowering his sword, Musyamon grinned and laughed. "Although I am primarily a warrior-type Digimon, I do have some magical abilities. Granted, they are weak, but when combined with my sword, I can perform some decent spells. Such as this one!"

Pointing his sword towards the ceiling, the armoured Digimon closed his eyes and started muttering. Kit then saw that the dull section of Musyamon's blade was lined with strange symbols, and they were starting to glow. As the colour of the shapes shifted from a light gold to a deep red hue, the warrior held his free hand in front of the purple design on his chest, palm facing inwards. After a few seconds, the design flashed red and dissolved outwards, forming into a small ring of white beads that had a large purple feather attached to one end. The place where the design had been was now the same tan colour as the rest of the vest.

Gripping the beads tightly, Musyamon held them in front of his raised sword, watching with apparent glee as both the beads and feather started to smoke, then turned completely into mist and was sucked into the glowing symbols on his weapon. Clasping both hands around the handle of the sword, he started to laugh as the symbols glowed even brighter, the entire sword transforming into a energy blade. "Prepare to be deleted, Clockmon!" he roared, quickly pivoting and slicing the blade through the waiting Gazimon.

Kit stared in disbelief as the Gazimon let out a yowl of pain once the blade and been removed, leaving behind a vertical slash that ran right down the middle of the Rookie. "Finally…true power!" the smaller Digimon cried as the slash mark pulsed with red energy then expanded to envelope him in a sphere of crimson light.

Her light brown eyes widened even further as the sphere grew rapidly, towering over both of the Champion Digimon.

"Gazimon Digivolve to…"

A savage roar echoed from inside the orb, then it exploded into data fragments, revealing Gazimon's new form.

"**DEVIDRAMON!**" The demonic Digimon roared, the crimson glow that emanated from him fading as he declared his name. At nearly twenty feet tall, Devidramon looked like a massive lizard. His leathery skin was almost pure black, with only his chin being a light grey colour. He stood on two heavily muscled back legs, both bent slightly so he was in the crouching position. Long arms ended in five blood-red claws on each hand, all wickedly sharp. Devidramon's head was similar to a lizard's, except instead of two eyes he had four, the second pair being smaller and located halfway between his snout and his first set of eyes. The top pair of eyes were a deep gold, while the lower set were the same colour as his claws. Two small black wings protruded from the top of his head, and acted as ears. The Digimon had two pairs of wings, the larger set sprouting from his shoulders and resembling bird wings. The other set were lower down and looked like a larger version of the wings of his head, albeit still smaller than the other pair. A large lizard-like tail, half of which was covered in black armour, lay on the floor behind Devidramon.

The new Champion let out a growl, fixing all four of his eyes on Clockmon. Musyamon still stood beside him although her now looked tiny next to the massive Devidramon. Letting out a low laugh, the armoured Digimon said, "_This_ is why so many Digimon were unable to defeat me! They only came prepared to battle me, and no one else. By underestimating me and my power, they were doomed to failure." Pointing the tip of his sword at Kit's partner, he continued. "You have made the same mistake as all the rest. Once we have deleted you, the humans and the pathetic Pabumon will quickly follow."

"Hey, hey! Don't count me out just yet!" a small voice chirped from behind the teens. Surprised at the interruption, Musyamon turned along with everyone else to stare at the newcomer. Standing in the doorway was Crabmon, emerald eyes filled with determination. Clicking his large pincer open and shut in a threatening manner, the blue crustacean Rookie scuttled sideways around Kit and her friends and stopped in front of them.

Musyamon wasn't impressed by the new development. Smirking, he mocked, "Are the DigiDestined so weak that they must rely on mere Rookies to do their work for them? If you value your data, Crabmon, leave now. I don't have time to waste on weak Digimon like you." Dismissing the crab Digimon with a wave of his hand, the swordsman turned back to Clockmon. "I believe we have a battle to finish?" he asked smoothly.

Devidramon gave a snort and raised his right arm. "Crimson Claw!" he hissed, swinging it at the much smaller mechanical Digimon. Clockmon tightened his grip on the hammer and used the pole to partially block the sharp claws. Even so, the force of the attack sent him crashing backwards onto the floor. Kit gasped, seeing that jagged slash marks now marred the clock face.

"Ninja Blade!" Metal limbed flailing, her partner managed to rise to his feet and swing his hammer at Musyamon's jabbing sword, knocking the blade away from his body.

"This won't do…no, no, not at all." Crabmon muttered, his shell starting to glow dimly. "Time for me to step in." he continued as the light got brighter, quickly encasing him in a sphere of white light.

"Crabmon Digivolve to…**Seadramon**!"

- - -

Sam watched in awe as yet another Digimon transformed right in front of him. He was still stunned by the fact that Kit's partner had Digivolved, but now Crabmon? Although he was an expert on the Digimon games and TV shows, nothing he had seen or read had prepared him for this. Gazimon's sudden and violent change into Devidramon perplexed him, though. He knew that most Gazimon Digivolved into Raremon, but could change into Devidramon if the conditions were right.

His attention returned to Seadramon as he emerged from the sphere of white light. Crabmon's Champion form was a huge serpent creature that was just slightly taller than Devidramon. His smooth skin was a light blue colour with red stripes at regular intervals running across his body. Four fins helped him move while in water, and the tip of his tail had a large red leaf-like fin. A yellow helmet covered his head and face, and webbed projections on either side of his head protected the spot where the helmet met his neck. Although Seadramon had his back to the group of humans, Sam knew that his chin and underside was white.

"Wh-what?!" Musyamon sputtered, obviously shocked at the appearance of yet another Digimon. "I thought I defeated all the Champions in this area!"

"You did." Seadramon replied, his voice now taking on a slight hiss. "I returned to my Rookie form to escape deletion, and waited in the forest until the humans arrived. As guardian of Lotus Lake, I vowed then that I would aid them in defeating you, and that is exactly what I plan on doing."

Looking down, he met Clockmon's gaze and nodded. "I will take care of this Devidramon while you battle Musyamon. I have faith that you can defeat this menace."

"I understand." Clockmon replied.

"Devidramon, take care of this pest for me!" Musyamon ordered sharply, eyes narrowed in rage. Letting out a roar, the demonic Digimon opened his mouth and shot a vortex of dark energy towards the ceiling of the temple. "Dark Gale!"

The attack ripped through the ceiling, leaving a wide hole and causing wood and roof tiles to fall into the room. Fearing that he might be hit by debris, Sam backed away from the battle, taking shelter in the doorway along with Kit and Amanda, who was still cradling the unconscious Pabumon.

Devidramon leapt into the air and quickly soared through the opening, his large wings easily carrying him skyward. Letting out a hiss of anger, Seadramon also rose into the air and slithered after the dark Champion.

"I didn't realize Seadramon could fly…" Amanda muttered, staring in shock at the way the snake-like Digimon manoeuvred through the air.

"All Seadramon have the ability of flight, and they retain this ability when they Digivolve." Sam quickly explained, his gaze returning to the battle in front of them.

"But…how?" the girl asked.

"I have no idea." he admitted, giving her a sheepish smile. "Gazimon's Digivolution is also bothering me too-"

"SHOGUN SWORD!!!" Musyamon's roar cut him off in mid-sentence, and the teen winced upon seeing the sword plunge downwards. Clockmon had managed to avoid the attack, sidestepping the blade and once again raising his hammer.

"Chrono Breaker!" Once again, the armoured Digimon froze as the mallet struck him, and Sam noticed that the ticking noise coming from the clock part of the Champion had stopped. Sam had a theory that Clockmon could control how time flowed, so by using his Chrono Breaker attack he could slow down, speed up, and even stop time. The effects were only temporary, but if used correctly, the Champion could defeat his sword-wielding opponent.

Sam's blue eyes widened as he noticed something. The time on the alarm clock had _changed_. The time displayed was now 9:45 instead of 8:40. He watched as Musyamon was released from the time freeze, who quickly whirled around and starting swinging his sword at the other Champion. Clockmon managed to block most of the blows, but the few that managed to hit his upper body drew blue liquid.

"Chrono Buster!" Clockmon cried again, once more raising his hammer skyward. Seeing the attack coming Musyamon nimbly jumped backwards, sword positioned to block the hammer strike. But instead of hitting the warrior Digimon, Clockmon hit himself with the hammer. A rapid ticking sound filled the room as the Champion moved in a blur of colour all around Musyamon, who reacted by grunting in pain as he was struck multiple times with the hammer.

Gritting his teeth in anger, the armour-clad Digimon finally struck out with his left arm in an attempt to hit his fast-loving opponent, but instead gasped as the protective armour on that arm cracked and fell to the floor in pieces. He then was sent flying by a final hammer blow, hitting the opposite wall with a thud.

Clockmon stopped in the centre of the room, the ticking returning to its usual pace as time around the Digimon slowed down. Sam could now see that the time had shifted to 10:50, and he wondered if there was any significance to it.

"Does Clockmon have any other attacks besides Chrono Breaker?" Kit asked, glancing over at Sam. "Er…" he muttered, racking his brains to come up with an answer. He wasn't that familiar with the mechanical Digimon, so he needed time to think. The room suddenly shook around them as something crashed into the temple, and he realized that Seadramon and Devidramon were still fighting outside. Peering out the opening in the roof, he saw the demonic lizard Digimon go flying past, swooping to the side to avoid a blast of ice from behind him. Second later, four red beams shot from the direction Devidramon had gone, and Sam heard the fain roar of "Red Eyes!"

"Ninja Blade!"

"Chrono Buster!" Sam stared as Musyamon's sword and Clockmon's hammer collided, the result being that the sharp blade suddenly moved in slow motion. Ducking under the sweeping blade, Clockmon suddenly moved forward, reaching out with his mechanical left arm. The hand on that arm was a circular clamp of some sort, and it opened and grabbed Musyamon's blade. Brown eyes narrowed in concentration, Clockmon twisted the weapon sideways to hold it still, then smashed his hammer into it, hitting right above the hilt guard.

A loud clang was heard as the two metal objects connected, then the sword burst into data particles and vanished. Musyamon stumbled backwards as the effects of slowed time wore off, and stared in shock at Clockmon, whose clock hands had shifted yet again, displaying the time of 11:55. His expression quickly turning to anger, he raised his fists. "I can still fight without my sword!" he snarled. A agonized roar was heard from high above, then a Gazimon dropped through the hole and slammed into the floor.

Badly wounded, the Rookie weakly raised his head and looked at the angry Champion. "Pl…please…Boss, don't…delete me." he whimpered, a golden eye closed as he fought to stay conscious. "I tried…my…best." Musyamon's mouth twisted into a grim smile. "Indeed, you did. But I don't like weak underlings." Walking over to the fallen Rookie, the warrior drew his right fist back as it started to glow with purple energy. "Violent Dismissal!" he shouted, slamming his fist into the Gazimon. The Gazimon let out a yowl, then dissolved into golden data particles that swirled upwards towards the sky.

Sam stared in horror at the armoured warrior. "That Gazimon was loyal to you! You didn't have to destroy him!" he shouted, unable to comprehend why Musyamon had deleted one of his own followers.

Turning, Musyamon sneered at the teenager. "You're too naïve, DigiDestined." he said scornfully. "Tell me, how were you planning on defeating me?" the Digimon asked with a twisted smile, apparently enjoying watching the humans' disgust at his act.

"We…ah….er…" Sam trailed off, unable to answer the question. Musyamon then looked at his two friends, but neither of them could answer either. Snorting disdainfully, the warrior turned back to Clockmon.

"Pathetic, all of you!" he cried, looking triumphant. "With that pacifist attitude and weak partners, none of you will last long in this world. That is, if I don't finish you off first." Musyamon said with a chuckle. Pointing at Clockmon, he growled, You're next! I'll send you to oblivion the same way as Gazimon!"

Clenching his right hand into a fist, Musyamon drew it back as purple energy started to swirl around it once more. Clockmon took up a defensive stance, the hammer gripped tightly in his hands. Giving a small nod, the warrior Digimon started to run towards his opponent. "Violent Dismissal!"

- - -

**Author's Notes**:

Gazimon: The main Gazimon featured in this chapter and previous ones had golden eyes, as did his Champion form, Devidramon. Normally, both Gazimon and Devidramon have red eyes. This was not an error on my part - the odd eyes colour will be explained in a future chapter.

Musyamon: Most Digidexs list Musyamon as a 'Demon Man', but I did find one that had him listed as a 'Wizard', which is why he has magical abilities in this story. The symbols on his sword as well as the beads and feather come from the official Bandai picture of him, not the line art from the anime. Finally, while the attack "Violent Dismissal" is an actual attack, it's dub name is "Ninja Blade". I decided that Musyamon needed a third attack, so I just modified the attack slightly.


	6. Ends and Beginnings

Chapter 6: Ends and Beginnings

Kit could do nothing but look on in horror as Musyamon charged towards her partner. Although she had regained some of her confidence when Clockmon had appeared, her previous worries came flooding back. But she refused to let them overpower her like they had before.

"You can defeat him, Clockmon!" she called out, trying her best to support the Digimon even though things looked grim.

"Yeah! You can do it!"

"Get him, Clockmon!" Sam and Amanda both called, moving to stand beside Kit. Leaning over, the male whispered, "I just remembered that Clockmon does have another attack, but I don't know what it's called."

"I hope he decides to use it soon." Kit murmured back, then jumped as another voice echoed through the large room.

"**Ice Blast!**" Shards of glittering ice shot down from the hole in the roof, slamming into Musyamon and forcing him to stop and use both arms to shield his face. Moments later, Seadramon glided gracefully into the temple, positioning himself between the battling Digimon.

"Grrrahhh!" the warrior roared, sounding frustrated at the intrusion. "If you insist on blocking my way, then I'll just go through you!" he shouted, once again raising his fist to use Violent Dismissal.

"Thank you Seadramon, but I can handle him." Clockmon said politely, a small smile crossing his face. Musyamon snorted, but the giant sea serpent moved to rest beside the group of teenagers.

"The time! It's changing!" Sam hissed excitedly, and Kit realized that he was right. The twisted minute hand of the clock was sliding slowly upwards, the hour hand already having positioned itself at the 12 o'clock mark.

"Musyamon, you're rule of terror has come to an end. Your time is up." Clockmon said calmly as the minute hand slid to a stop at the top of the clock face. The other Champion opened his mouth to respond, but never got the chance as the alarm clock suddenly began to ring shrilly.

Clamping her hands over her ears to block out some of the noise, Kit watched in awe as the red eye that peered out of the interior of the clock started to shine with hidden light. Raising his right arm, which had two small nozzles with a red light bulb encased in a metal tube mounted on the left side in place of a hand, Clockmon pointed it at Musyamon. The light also began to shine with contained power, sparks of energy sliding over the metal that covered it. The eye inside the clock blinked once, then vanished, and a vortex of light began to swirl around the Digimon's right arm.

As quickly as it began, the ringing ceased, and Clockmon called into the silence, "Time Buster!" The whirling light around his right arm was sucked into the two nozzles, which in turn melted away, causing the mounted light to slide into the spot where the tubes had been. The encased light bulb crackled with electricity, then a rainbow-coloured beam shot out of it and engulfed Musyamon, who had apparently been too surprised to move.

The beam of light continued to surround the warrior Digimon for several minutes, then slowly faded away. Kit then gasped upon seeing the result. Instead of deleting Musyamon like she had thought, Clockmon's Time Buster had reverted the evil warrior back into a Digiegg. The egg was pure white, and sat in the spot where Musyamon had previously stood.

"Wow…" Sam muttered, looking amazed at the conclusion of the battle.

"Clockmon had that kind of power? Why didn't he use it before?" Amanda asked, sounding puzzled and a bit angry as she held the unconscious Pabumon in her arms.

"Well, even though Clockmon can control the flow of time, he needed to store up enough energy for the attack by using Chrono Breaker repeatedly. That's why his clock hands moved every time he used the attack." Sam explained slowly, frowning slightly as if he himself was still working out exactly what had just happened.

"That is correct, Sam. I need to shift the flow of time a great deal to use Time Buster, and Chrono Breaker allows me to gather up enough energy to do so." Clockmon added, nodding in agreement at the teenager.

"Are…are you alright?" Kit asked cautiously, eyeing the rips and dents that covered her partner's body. "I will be after I have a good long rest." he replied with a light smile, then closed his eyes and glowed with white light and shrank. His partner smiled and picked up the sleeping Kapurimon from the ground, stroking his metal helmet fondly.

Turning to Seadramon, she said, "Thank you for everything, Seadramon. I don't think we could have defeated Musyamon without you." The sea serpent Digimon merely smiled and nodded, then addressed the whole group. "How about I give you a lift back to Jijimon's hut? I'm sure you could all use some sleep."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Amanda replied with a grin.

"But what about Lotus Temple? It sounded like it was damaged during your battle with Devidramon." Sam pointed out.

"It was, but it can be fixed later." Seadramon replied, lowering his head down to allow the humans to climb onto his neck. Seeing that Kit was looking at the white Digiegg, he added, "I will take the responsibility of caring for that egg. You can be sure that whatever hatches from it will be raised to become a kind, loving Digimon."

"Alright." Kit answered, relieved that the Digimon inside was going to be well taken care of. She quickly mounted Seadramon's neck, holding onto Amanda with one arm and carrying Kapurimon with the other.

Once he was sure everyone was seated safely, Seadramon rose into the air and flew through the damaged roof. He paused for a moment to get his bearings, then slithered towards where Jijimon's hut was located.

- - -

Jijimon stared up at the twin moons of the Digital World. The larger of the two was low in the western sky, and its nearly full face cast a orange glow onto the landscape. The smaller moon was a slim crescent that shone dimly with blue light from its position directly overhead. The old Digimon was standing on the edge of the cliff where his hut sat, thinking.

Kit and her friends had returned hours ago, brought by Seadramon, who had quickly left to deal with the remaining Gazimon that still inhabited Lotus Temple and the surrounding forest. The three humans had explained in great detail what had happened to them, all of which Jijimon absorbed silently. He was proud of them for overcoming Musyamon, and he had said so once they finished. Hungry and tired, the teenagers had eaten and quickly gone to sleep, leaving Jijimon alone with his thoughts.

Several things were bothering the old Mega. First, the fact that ToyAgumon had Digivolved to Clockmon. The Prophecy of Ages had outlined that paths upon which the partners of the DigiDestined were to follow in terms of Digivolution, but Kit's partner had deviated from the required path. Tapping the tip of his cane on the ground, he muttered, "Is the Prophecy wrong? Or have I made a mistake…?"

Stroking his shaggy beard, Jijimon turned his attention to the second problem. Sam had mentioned that one of the Gazimon had golden eyes, and had retained that eye colour when Musyamon forced him to Digivolve.

Gazimon had red eyes, as did Devidramon. The only possible solution the old Digimon could think of for the peculiar change was that Gazimon's data had been altered in some way. Such a thing was very difficult to do, and it required a very strong Digimon to do it, but data altercation was possible. But why it had been done was a mystery.

Sighing heavily, he knew that only time would reveal the answers, but it would also help if the three DigiDestined knew what they were fighting. For Amanda and Sam were both DigiDestined like Kit, otherwise they would not have been drawn into the Digital World. Turning, he shuffled back into his small cabin, deciding it was time to get some rest. Tomorrow looked like it was going to be a busy day.

- - -

"Wake up! Wake up!" A cheerful voice roused Amanda from her sleep, and the thirteen-year-old rolled over with a groan. She enjoyed sleeping in, and had no intention of getting up just yet. "C'mon Amanda, breakfast is ready!" Opening one brown eye a crack, she saw that Kapurimon was bouncing up and down in front of her, apparently having recovered from the battle the previous day.

"Fine…" she muttered, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Yeah! Up, up!" Kapurimon chanted, the morning sun glinting off his metal helmet. Chucking at his enthusiasm, Amanda looked around and spotted the still-sleeping Pabumon on the cushion beside her. Noticing that they were the only ones around, she asked, "Where is everyone else?"

"They're already awake and outside." Kapurimon responded, flicking his stripped tail towards the door. "Everyone's waiting for you, sleepyhead." he added.

"I better get out there, then." Running a hand through her shoulder-length chestnut brown hair, she stood up and smoothed the wrinkles out of her clothes. The teen was surprised at how well her light grey T-shirt and navy jogging pants had stood up against the rough treatment they had been through. Pulling on her white running shoes, Amanda picked up Pabumon and headed outside, Kapurimon bounding on ahead of her.

She followed the bouncing In-Training over to where Jijimon and her friends were sitting underneath a tall tree, a blanket spread out between them. Piled on the checkered red-and-white cloth were a variety of foods, ranging from toast to oranges to cold roast beast.

"Morning!" she said as she reached the group, receiving similar greetings from all present. Settling down beside Sam she nodded at the pile of food. "Is this all for us?"

"Yes, eat as much as you like." Jijimon responded with a chuckle. Smiling happily, all three humans leaned in and started taking food.

- - -

"Thank you, Jijimon!" they chorused, the remains of their meals scattered on the blanket. "Oh, don't mention it. It's the least I could do." the old Digimon replied, waving off the thanks. "But now that everyone is finished, there are some things I must tell you."

Amanda looked intently at the Mega, Pabumon awake and resting in her lap. She was curious to learn more about the Digital World, and she could tell that Jijimon knew many things about it.

"First, I must have gifts for Amanda and Samuel." The teen raised and eyebrow and glanced at Sam, who looked surprised and a little nervous. Jijimon held out his cane, and they all watched as the large cat's paw on the end uncurled and flexed its' claws. Two orbs of light materialized in its palm, then faded to reveal two Digivices. One was blue and white, while the other was orange and grey. Kit pulled out her own yellow and red Digivice, and Amanda saw that all three were shaped in the same design: spherical, but with five thin arrows pointing outwards from the square screen, forming a star on the Digivice. A row of three buttons were underneath the screen, and a small antenna jutted from the top of the device.

"The blue one is for Amanda, and the orange is Sam's." Jijimon continued, waiting while each teen picked up their own Digivice. "Congratulations, you two are now DigiDestined." Although she couldn't tell, the girl suspected that the old Digimon was beaming underneath his shaggy hair and beard.

"Awesome!" Amanda declared, giving Sam and Kit a wide grin. The lone male human also looked pleased, and Kit was sharing her grin.

"That's great! I'm sure we'll make a great team!" Kit said, and Amanda nodded in agreement.

"Definitely." she responded.

"I'm not done." Jijimon said, and all three teens instantly focused back on him. Pointing at the small Fresh Digimon, he continued. "Pabumon is also Amanda's partner."

"Really?" Amanda asked, stunned at her good luck. She had no idea that Otamamon was the one she would be paired with when she had rescued her. Jijimon nodded, and Pabumon gave a few squeaks of glee, bouncing up and down in her lap.

"As for Samuel's partner, you'll encounter the chosen Digimon sometime in the future. But I'm sure that you two will get along just fine." the Mega said to Sam, who was looking slightly downcast.

"How will I know when my partner appears?" he asked, running a finger over his Digivice.

"You'll just know. Remember, trust your inner feelings." Jijimon answered, patting him kindly on the shoulder. Sam nodded and let the Digimon continue.

"Now, I must tell you about why you were brought to the Digital World." Pausing, the Mega collected his thoughts and continued.

"Long ago, a massive war raged across this world, causing mass destruction and deleting many innocent Digimon. A group of powerful Digimon had decided that they wanted to rule the DigiWorld and revolted, a move that was opposed by many. Both sides gathered followers, and their armies clashed in many battles, but neither side won a major advantage over the other. Finally, the tide was turned against the revolting Digimon, and they were defeated and sealed away. The sole Digimon that was responsible for defeating the evil Digimon then vanished, leaving behind a prophecy and five Digivices. The prophecy, known as the Prophecy of Ages, reads as follows:

_At day's end the night will come again,_

_bringing darkness and terror._

_Five lights must be kindled,_

_Five must be chosen._

_Born of the elements,_

_these five must fight the dark,_

_or all shall be consumed by the endless night._

_Strangers to this realm,_

_they will wear the badges which grant power._

_Five Digimon will join them. _

_Five will become two,_

_and the armies of the night will fall._

_Seven will rise,_

_shadows of the past,_

_and the five will be reflected._

_Two sides will battle,_

_but only one can be victor,_

_and then night will reign or dawn break._

"Since then, the Digital World has been peaceful, but recently evil Digimon have been appearing everywhere and wreaking havoc. After fighting off several attacks, I decided to open the portal between the Real World and the Digital World before my power vanished completely. But I was weaker than I thought, which was why you got separated…" the wizened Digimon trailed off and feel silent for a moment, then cleared his throat and added, "It's also why your friend was able to be snatched away. I don't know who took her, but they had to have some special means of opening the portal that connects the different worlds. I…I'm very sorry about not being able to bring her here…"

The group was silent for a moment, and Amanda hoped that Nicole was alright. Although the two girls had started out on the wrong foot, they had grown close once their differences had been resolved. If Nicole was in danger, Amanda was determined to do everything she could to rescue her, even if it meant deleting Digimon to do so.

"Then we'll have to find her." Sam said quietly, a serious look in his blue eyes. Amanda and Kit both nodded, ready to help their friend. Looking over at Jijimon, Amanda tried to console him. "You did the best you could, Jijimon, so don't worry about it. We are the DigiDestined after all, and helping others in need is part of our job description." she said, hoping her cheerful tone would lift the old Digimon's spirits.

"Hohohoho, I suppose you're right. And I think I know the Digimon that could help you. His name is Baronmon, and he has the ability to foresee the future. It's possible he saw where Nicole was taken."

"Baronmon? _The_ Baronmon?" Kapurimon asked, red eyes suddenly going wide.

"Yes, the one who inhabits the Crystal Hills." Jijimon affirmed with a nod.

"I've heard of him! It's said that he witnessed the battles between the revolting Digimon and those that opposed them, and got a great power from the Digimon who ended the war." the small Digimon said, awe in his voice.

"He would know more about what happened during that war, then. Since he was there, he might also be able to tell us more about the Prophecy of Ages, or at least give us some clues at to what it means." Kit said, looking excited at the prospect. "How about we go meet him?"

"Sounds good to me." Sam agreed.

"Sam here." Amanda answered, smiling down at Pabumon, who also looked pleased at the suggestion. At least, she thought she looked pleased, since the soother stuck in her mouth made it hard to tell if the Fresh Digimon was smiling.

"A fine decision." Jijimon said, nodded along with the rest of the group. "Give me some time to gather some supplies, then you can leave."

- - -

"So, where exactly _are_ the Crystal Hills?" Sam asked, swinging a small pack loaded with food and blankets onto his back. His new Digivice was clipped to his belt, and he thought it matched well with the dark red T-shirt and blue jeans he was wearing.

"They are located on the far side of the Endless Plains." Jijimon replied as he watched the group prepare to leave.

"Endless Plains? Well then, this trip will be a breeze." Amanda muttered, the sarcasm evident in her voice.

"I know it sounds like a long journey, but you should pass through the Endless Plains in a few days if you walk steadily. And that is where you're going." the old Digimon replied, gesturing with his cane out at the massive grassland that began at the bottom of the cliff they stood on.

"Looks big." Kapurimon commented.

"Yeah…" Sam agreed, blue eyes narrowed as he gazed of into the distance. He could see no trees, just some large rocks that poked up out of the ground at seemingly random points. He was anxious to start travelling and find his partner, since he was powerless to do anything if a Digimon attacked them.

"Wh…my Digivice is glowing!" Amanda said with a gasp, staring at the small screen which was emitting a steady white glow. Pabumon slid down from the rock she had been resting on and moved over to stand in from of her partner.

"Point it towards Pabumon." Jijimon advised, and Sam watched with interest as she complied, eyes widening when a beam of light burst out of the device and hit the Fresh Digimon. Pabumon vanished inside a ball of light, then re-appeared as a slightly larger pink ghost. "I'm Motimon now!" the In-Training chirped happily, floating over to a rather surprised Amanda and settling on her shoulder.

"That's great, Amanda!" Kit said with a smile, and Kapurimon bounced up and down in agreement, laughing.

Sam nodded and chuckled as well, but felt a small pang of jealously go through him at the sight of his friends with their own partners. He shook it off quickly, telling himself he would have his own Digimon someday. Seeing that Amanda and Kit also had their packs on, he said, "If everyone's ready, shall we set off?"

"Sure!"

"Yeah, let's go!" came the enthusiastic responses.

"I'll show you the way down the cliff, then." Jijimon said, turning and shuffling towards a large boulder. Reaching the rock, he tapped the cat's paw against the rough surface three times, then watched as the boulder silently slid sideways to reveal a hole leading down.

"This ladder leads to a lighted tunnel which will take you to the bottom of the cliff. If you ever need to come up this way, point your Digivice at the boulder that blocks the tunnel entrance, and it will move aside to let you enter."

"Thanks Jijimon!" Kit said, picking up Kapurimon and starting down the ladder.

"Yeah, thanks for everything." Amanda added, flashing the old Digimon a smile and following her friend, Motimon floating down with her.

"Sam." Jijimon said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"What?" he asked, curious to hear what the wise Mega had to say.

"Remember, trust your instincts, and don't be afraid to rely on your friends when in trouble." he said simply, then patted Sam's shoulder once and moved aside. Wondering why Jijimon had told him that, Sam just nodded goodbye and went down the ladder.

Kit and Amanda were waiting for him at the bottom, but they were too busy talking about what had happened to ask any questions. Busy with his own thoughts, the male just followed them out of the tunnel and into the waist-high grass of the Endless Plains.


	7. An Unexpected Meeting

Chapter 7: An Unexpected Meeting

Amanda sighed as a cool breeze blew through her brown hair. The DigiDestined had stopped to make camp for the night, and now they were all relaxing after dinner. They had been travelling for two days now, slowly crossing the massive grassland known as the Endless Plains. The thirteen-year-old was beginning to thing that this place _was_ never-ending. A few Digimon has been sighted off in the distance, but none had approached close enough to be identified.

Several times Amanda had glanced up and saw a dark shape circling the group high overhead, but it had eventually flown off to the northeast earlier in the afternoon. It was late evening now, and the waning orange moon overhead provided enough light to see by. Motimon was sitting in the tall grass a little off to her left, curiously examining the loosely packed soil. Kit and Kapurimon were talking while cleaning up, and Sam had gone to wash up at a nearby stream.

"I hear something!" Kapurimon said suddenly. The two DigiDestined looked at each other, wondering if it was trouble. Red eyes scanning the landscape around them, the helmeted In-Training Digimon seemed to be listening hard. They were camping in a shallow valley surrounded by low hills on all sides, so it was possible that a Digimon could sneak up on them.

"Could it be Sam coming back?" Motimon suggested, moving over to sit beside Amanda.

"No, the sound is from the opposite direction." Kapurimon replied, frowning as he tried to pinpoint the location of the noise.

Amanda tensed as she caught the sound of something approaching from behind one of the hills "It…sounds like hooves." she said as the noise became clearer.

"Yeah, it does." Kit agreed, Digivice in hand. Realizing that it would be a good idea to have her own out, she grabbed the small device from her pocket.

A faint whinny was heard, then a bolt of blue lightening shot from behind the hill, arced high into the night sky then descended right at the small group. Amanda let out a surprised yell and dove out of the way, hearing the crackle of electricity behind her. Rolling to her feet, she gulped as she saw the circle scorched earth and burnt grass where the attack had landed.

"There!" Kit yelled, pointing towards a hilltop. Turning, Amanda saw a horse-like Digimon standing there, the shape of the half-full blue moon directly behind it. The Digimon's coat was white with black stripes, making it resemble a large zebra. A black helmet covered the upper part of its head, with a thin red faceplate covering the eyes. A metal horn jutted out from the horse's forehead, the sharp tip gleaming in the dim light; and its red mane and tail were ruffled by the cool wind.

"It's a Shima Unimon, a Champion-level Vaccine type." Kit explained, backing away slightly. Snorting, the horse nodded, then pawed the ground. "I, the strongest of my herd, have been sent to fight you." he declared, his deep voice carrying easily to where Amanda and Kit stood.

"Oh really? You better put up a good challenge, then." Amanda replied, nodding to Motimon. The pink In-Training smiled and floated out in front of her partner. Pointing her Digivice at the Digimon, the teen saw that Kit and Kapurimon were mimicking her actions. Both Digivices glowed, and twin beams of light lit up the night.

"Motimon Digivolve to…**Otamamon!**"

"Kapurimon Digivolve to…**ToyAgumon!**"

The blue tadpole and the miniature Lego dinosaur were revealed once the light faded away, and both advanced towards the waiting Shima Unimon. Glancing over at her best friend, Amanda asked, "Do you think ToyAgumon should Digivolve further?"

"We'll wait and see how strong Shima Unimon is first. I don't want to use up all of his energy in case we get attacked again tomorrow." Nodding at the decision, the girl focussed back on the forthcoming battle. She was a little bit nervous, but knew that Otamamon wouldn't back down.

"Wild Thunder!" the horse Digimon called, lowering his head and pointing his horn at the two Rookies. Blue electricity cracked around the tip, then rushed forward in jagged bolts towards the smaller Digimon. ToyAgumon quickly sprang out of the way and countered by spitting a fireball in the Champion's direction. "Toy Flame!"

Otamamon wasn't agile enough to dodge the attack, so leapt forward and rolled into a ball. "Slamming Attack!" she cried, splitting the lightening bolt in two as it collided with her spinning form.

Shima Unimon whinnied as the flame struck his chest, and trotted to the side to avoid Otamamon as she rolled past. "Luster Shot!" Opening his mouth, he blasted a blue orb of light at ToyAgumon, which hit him and caused him to fly backwards into the tall grass.

"Kid Claw!" The Champion jerked as Amanda's partner slashed at his back with her sharp claws, then rolled off him and landed safely on the ground. "Wild Thunder!" Shima Unimon cried, turning his head and sending another bolt of blue lightning at Otamamon. Unable to react in time, the Rookie cried out in pain as the electricity coursed through her small body.

"Otamamon!" Amanda cried, fearing that her partner had been badly hurt. But she didn't rush forward to see, knowing that such an act would only put herself in danger.

"Block Punch! Toy Flame!" The stripped horse stumbled as a Lego block slammed into his ribs, followed closely by another fireball. Regaining his balance, he galloped around ToyAgumon and vanished from sight for a minute before stopping on another hilltop, away from the DigiDestined's Digimon.

"I won't stop until you defeat me." the Champion said solemnly to the two girls. "And by defeat, I mean deleting me. If you don't do that, I'll turn your partners into data and hold you hostage."

"We…we have to delete him." Kit said softly, looking a bit shocked at the sudden announcement. Amanda nodded silently, aware that it was the only choice they had. She was in no mood to be stuck in yet another cage.

"Otamamon, you know what to do!" she called, seeing the small Rookie emerge from the thick grass. She waved a forearm in acknowledgement, then hopped to sit beside ToyAgumon.

"Wild Thunder!" Shima Unimon once again launched lightening bolts towards the two Rookies, who avoided the attack and retaliated with their own moves.

"Stun Bubble!"

"Toy Flame!"

Their opponent was merely grazed by the flame attack, but was hit directly with the stream of bubbles. He swayed from side to side and Amanda realized that the horse Digimon was dizzy.

"Block Punch!"

"Wrapping Bubble!" A loud whinny indicated that the attacks had hit their mark, and Shima Unimon stumbled yet again, clearly losing strength. Between attacking, both Rookie Digimon had been moving closer to their opponent, knowing that they had a better chance of winning the closer they were.

"Luster Shot!" the Champion called, the glowing orb targeting ToyAgumon. Kit's partner responded with a speedy "Toy Flame!" which collided with Shima Unimon's attack, causing both to explode into data fragments.

"Kid Claw!" Otamamon shouted, leaping forward and raking her claws over the Digimon's chest. The horse batted her away with his horn, but before he could launch another Wild Thunder, ToyAgumon attacked. "Toy Flame!"

The large fireball that bust from the Rookie's mouth told Amanda that he had put a lot of power behind the attack, and she gasped as it struck Shima Unimon and engulfed his body in fire. Over the crackling flames, the girl heard the Champion cry, "Well done, DigiDestined! You have passed my test, proving that you have the courage to defeat the darkness that is stealing over this world. May you be victorious!" The raging ball of fire died away as a swirl of data twisted upwards towards the orange moon.

Amanda sat down heavily on a nearby rock, stunned at what had just happened. Although she knew that it had been necessary, it was still hard to deal with the fact that she had helped to destroy a Digimon.

A hand was placed on her shoulder, and she looked up to see Amanda kneeling beside her, looking just as sad as she was. Giving her best friend a small smile to show that she would be alright, the teenager glanced over at Otamamon.

Although bruised, the blue tadpole didn't look too badly hurt, and she was smiling as she hopped over with ToyAgumon.

"We did it! We beat our first Digimon!" she said, obviously happy at the victory.

"Yeah. Good job." Amanda replied, reaching down and patting her on the head.

"Are you guys ok?" Sam asked, jogging down the hill that lead to the stream. "I saw the lightening and heard a battle going on, so I decided to stay there where it was safe." he elaborated upon seeing the girls' surprised looks.

"We're fine." Kit answered, the explained what had happened while he was gone. Sam looked grim once he heard that they had been forced to delete Shima Unimon, but nodded. "Perhaps it was for the best…" he muttered, but didn't say what he meant.

"How about we get some sleep?" Amanda suggested, noting that the blue moon was now well up and shining brightly. The other two nodded, so the three DigiDestined found a level space and stretched out, blankets wrapped tightly around them.

- - -

Kit woke up to the bright sun peeking above the hills and a clear blue sky. Smiling, she stretched and noticed that Sam was already up and was adding the finishing touches to breakfast. Amanda was still asleep, and the teen suspected that she would remain that way for a while. ToyAgumon was still snoring on top of her blanket, so the girl edged out from underneath it and went to help the male DigiDestined.

"You're up early." she said softly, unpacking the plates and glasses that they would need. The cups and dishes were made of a lightweight material, but were nearly indestructible, as Kit had accidentally discovered when she had slipped on a patch of wet grass and had ended up flat on her back. The dishes had been fine, but the girl was still a little sore from the incident.

"Yeah, I decided to get up and start breakfast." Sam replied with a small smile. She chuckled in return and eyed the plates of cold meat buns and bean roots that were set out on a level rock. Although Jijimon had provided them with a lot of food native to the Digital World, the strange shape and taste of the food took some getting used to.

"I'll go get some water from the stream." she offered, picking up the large water sack and gesturing towards one of the low hills. Sam nodded, so she turned and walked off, eager to return so they could start travelling again.

- - -

Several hours later, Kit paused and shaded her eyes, gazing off to the north. "I think I see them!" she said excitedly, picking out numerous glimmers of light as the sun reflected off something in the distance.

Amanda mimicked her gesture and looked, then nodded. "Yeah, it looks like them. If we keep going, we'd probably get there by nightfall."

"Great! Let's go!" Sam said, adjusting his pack and setting off at a brisk pace towards the points of light.

"What's with him?" Kit murmured to her friend, curious as to why he was so eager. "I thought Sam didn't like history?"

"He doesn't, but I bet he wants to find his partner." Amanda whispered back with a light chuckle, the added, "I can kind of emphasize with him, since it can be pretty terrifying if a large Digimon is coming at you and you have no way to defend yourself."

"Yeah, I know the feeling." she answered, remembering how helpless she had felt when caught in the middle of the fight between Andromon and Piedmon. The teen wondered what had happened after the pillar of light had struck the ground and caused her to black out. Had both Digimon been destroyed? What was the shape she had seen in the clouds that night? Whatever the creature was, it had been huge, and powerful to cause the ground to shake like that. Kit had told all of this to Jijimon, but the old Mega hadn't explained what had taken place when he had found her in Lotus Forest.

- - -

The DigiDestined made several more stops to rest and eat some meat buns, so the sun was setting on their left by the time they reached the Crystal Hills, making them look like they were on fire. The trees, bushes, and flowers of the range of hills were made of light blue semi-transparent rock, giving the area the name Crystal Hills. Bending down, Kit ran a finger along the petal of the flower, and was surprised to hear a faint ringing sound coming from the plant as her finger moved.

"The nickname of this place are the Singing Hills, since all the plants emit a different note when the wind blows across them." ToyAgumon explained, green eyes bright with excitement as he looked around.

"Have you been here before?" Kit asked, rising and trying to decide which way to go next.

"No, but I've heard stories of this place from Digimon who have travelled here." he replied, walking with her as she re-joined Sam and Amanda.

"Did they say anything about where Baronmon lives?" Sam asked, looking around at the various rock formations.

"Welcome, Chosen Ones." a unfamiliar voice said, and everyone spun around to stare at the speaker. "I am Baronmon, the one Jijimon sent you to find." he added, seeing their surprised looks. Baronmon stood at just over five feet tall, and wore a green tunic that fell below his knees, with matching pants. The edges of the tunic were trimmed with bands of gold cloth, and Kit saw that his sleeves similar to those of a Japanese kimono. Brown leather gloves and boots covered his hands and feet; a crimson cloak wrapped around his neck and dropped to his ankles, the bottom edge ragged and torn. But the most distinctive thing about Baronmon was his face mask. It completely covered his face, and reminded the teen of a Chinese boar mask she had seen once in a shop. the face was dark blue, with a red snout, lips, and eyebrows. The mask's bared teeth were gold, as were the curved horns that jutted from the top. The two eyes were also gold, as was a smaller third eye set in the middle of his forehead. A red crest ran along the sides and top of the mask, and bushy white hair could be glimpsed when the Digimon moved.

"How do you know Jijimon sent us?" Sam asked, sounding like he didn't quite trust the masked Digimon. "Relax, DigiDestined. I have the ability to look into the future, so knew that Jijimon would direct you to me." Baronmon said calmly, turning and beckoning for the group to follow him.

"Could you tell us more about the ancient battle that was fought?" Kit asked, trotting to keep up with his long strides. "I will, but only after we reach a safer place." the ancient Digimon replied.

"You mean this place isn't safe?" Sam asked nervously.

"It is, but I don't know who may be watching us." Baronmon answered, leading them along a path that wound around the glittering hills. Although it was getting darker, Kit had no trouble seeing, and she realized it was because the crystalline flowers were shining in the dim light.

The small group continued walking, winding between the hills that rose up all around them. Baronmon turned off the path they had been following onto a much fainter trail, which zigzagged up a hill and over the summit, descending to a large plateau carved out of the rock. Perched on the open space was a small building. It had a red tiled roof that curled up at the corners, fluted columns covered with golden dragons twisting upwards and deep blue stone walls, making Kit think of a Buddhist shrine she had once seen in a magazine. Four steps lead up to a curtained entrance, and eight large stone pillars formed an octagon around the building. Looking closer, she saw that they were covered with strange black symbols that formed rows of vertical text.

Turning to face the DigiDestined, Baronmon waved a hand at the building. "This is where I live." he said solemnly. "Only those with untainted hearts may enter this place, otherwise a barrier will block your way. May I see your Digivices?"

Kit dug her own Digivice out of her vest pocket, seeing that Sam and Amanda were doing the same. The masked Digimon stepped up to her and held his right hand over the small device, palm downwards. After a few moments, he nodded and lowered his hand, then did the same thing with her friends Digivices.

"Good, you are all pure. Please, come in and I'll get you some refreshments." Baronmon said, sounding pleased. Turning around, he lead them past two of the columns that marked the entrance to the plateau and towards the waiting house.


	8. Darkness Rising

Chapter 8: Darkness Rising

"Jijimon spoke of the Prophecy of Ages, did he not?" Baronmon asked, gazing around the group. The Chosen Ones had all eaten, and now seemed eager to hear what he had to say. The mystic Digimon wished to learn more about the ones chosen to save the Digital World, but he also knew it was important for them to know exactly why they had been called to this realm.

"Yes, he did." Kit said with a nod. "He recited it for us, and mentioned some of the history behind it. But Jijimon said that you would tell us more."

"I will, but first, is there anything you wish to ask me?" Baronmon inquired softly.

"Do you know where our friend is?" Amanda asked after a minute of silence, looking slightly nervous.

"Yes and no." Baronmon replied, then paused for a moment. "Nicole was stolen from the void between the worlds and taken to another dimension. Which one, I do not know, nor did I glimpse who took her, except that they had a dark aura around them." The masked Digimon has several theories about who could have wanted a human, but he decided not to voice them. The Chosen Ones did not need to be burdened with them at this time.

"Is there a way to enter this void and go to where Nicole is being held?" Sam asked, looking interested about the fact that other worlds existed.

"There might be, but it requires a lot of power and great knowledge of how the worlds interact. All the Digimon that could have assisted you no longer exist or have joined the growing forces of evil Digimon." The group was silent for a moment, then Baronmon cleared his throat and spoke again. "Now, I will tell you the history behind the Prophecy of Ages."

"Four thousand years ago, the Digital World was in an era of long peace. Digimon who had previously warred with each other had settled their differences, deciding that peace was better than constant war. Four great Digimon, known as the Four Holy Beasts, each ruled over one specific section of the Digital World, settling minor disputes and making sure everything remained in harmony.

"But some Digimon were unhappy with the balance of power. They gathered together and plotted to overcome the Four Holy Beasts and rule the Digital World themselves. This group became known as the Seven Great Demon Lords, and consisted of Daemon, Barbamon, Lucemon, Beelzebumon, Lilithmon, Leviamon, and Belphemon. With the exception of Lucemon, all were Mega Digimon, and all held enormous power. Slowly, the seven gathered more and more followers; Digimon who were also discontented with the idea of peace, or those who just wanted strength.

"Once the Four Holy Beasts realized what was going on, they too called together their own supporters to combat the growing threat. Digimon from every part of the Digital World joined together to fight for their freedom and the idea of peace. Soon the massive opposing armies met in battle, leaving behind shattered landscapes and ruined lives. I witnessed several of these titanic clashes, and was lucky to escape with my data intact. The Four Holy Beasts themselves joined the battles, determined to stop the seven who had started the war.

"Eventually, all four of the great Digimon were defeated by the seven evil ones, but that only made the armies who followed them even more determined to win. Through a series of intense battles, they beat back the dark armies, but were unable to destroy them completely. The stalemate lasted for many years, until nearly everyone believed that the war would never end.

"It was at this point that a Digimon appeared who promised to destroy the Seven Great Demon Lords and the armies who served them. Known as Valdurmon, his very origin is a mystery. Some legends say he was sleeping at the centre of the Digital World and awoke upon hearing cries for a saviour. Other stories say he came from another world, while a few state that Valdurmon himself is a myth. I myself do not know where he came from.

"Valdurmon was a massive bird bathed in white light, who brought down the armies sent to destroy him all by himself. He then challenged the seven to a battle. This battle lasted for ten days and ten nights, and by the dawn of the eleventh day, it was clear that Valdurmon was the victor. In punishment for what they had done, he sealed the leader of the group, Daemon, into a parallel world known as the Dark Area for eternity; then reduced the remaining six to data packets and scattered them around the Digital World in such a fashion so that they would remain undisturbed forever.

"Valdurmon then related the Prophecy of Ages to a gathering of select Digimon, who would then spread it throughout the Digital World. Deeming it necessary for someone to pass on the story of the war and how it had been ended, he Digivolved a Patamon into a more powerful form and instructed that Digimon to tell the tale to the Chosen Five whenever they were called into this realm. I was that Patamon, and I have patiently waited all these centuries for you to arrive.

"In what was his final act, Valdurmon entrusted five Digivices to a Jijimon and told him to keep passing them on to a Jijimon until their rightful owners were brought to the Digital World. Then, the Digimon who had saved the Digital World simply vanished, never to been seen again. No one knows if or when he will return, but I believe he will, if only to aid those chosen to save this realm once more."

Baronmon fell silent, his tale finished. He allowed the Chosen Ones to absorb all that he had told them, waiting patiently for the questions to start.

Kit broke the silence first. "Both the Prophecy and the legend refer to five people who will fight the growing evil. Sam, Amanda and I make three, so where are the other two?"

"They are coming." he replied firmly, seeing the faces of the remaining Chosen Ones flash through his mind. Like the children who sat before him, the other two had been picked long ago to come to the Digital World. "You do not know them, but they will arrive when they are most needed." the masked Digimon added.

"Then are the Seven Great Demon Lords coming back?" Amanda asked. "_Seven will rise/shadows of the past_." she quoted upon seeing the other's confused looks.

"It certainly looks that way." Baronmon agreed. "I am unable to see that far into the future, but it seems the seven who started the war will return. If you ever wish to refer to the Prophecy, you can find it in your Digivices, under the 'Notes' option."

Looking puzzled, all three humans pulled out their Digivices and started pressing buttons, staring hard at the small screens. Baronmon gazed at Kit's Digivice for a moment, then at ToyAgumon, who was sitting beside her. He could sense sadness ahead for the pair, but knew that happiness would quickly follow it.

"He's right." Sam announced, looking up with a smile. "The whole thing is listed there."

"Cool! I'm sure it will come in handy in the future." Kit said, returning the small device to her pocket. Baronmon just nodded, knowing that they needed to know the Prophecy well in order to bring peace.

"Still, there are lots of stuff in the Prophecy that I don't get." Amanda said with a frown.

"I'm sure it'll all make sense in time." Otamamon piped up, giving her partner a smile.

"What should we do next?" Kit wondered aloud, gazing at a tapestry on the wall across from her. "You should rest and recover your strength." Baronmon replied. "Become comfortable with each other, your partners, and the functions of your Digivices." Everyone nodded in agreement, and they rose, eager to retire for the night.

- - -

Nicole sat on a large granite boulder, listening to the waves crash against the cliffs far below. Behind her was the mouth of the cave where IceDevimon lived, now a black hole in the light of the tiny grey moon. The cave was high up on the cliff, with a small shelf jutting out from the rock face in front of it. The smooth sheer cliff all around provided no way to get off the shelf, and one had to know how to fly in order to leave.

So in a sense, Nicole was a prisoner. But she didn't feel like one, since her partner had told her that he would take her anywhere she wished to go; all she had to do was ask. The 14-year-old had yet to accept the offer, preferring to stay within the deep cave. She spent most of her time watching what her former friends had been doing, for IceDevimon had installed an ice mirror in the cavern she had chosen for her room.

IceDevimon had also been watching what the DigiDestined were up to, but he preferred to do so from the frozen lake that was far below the main cave. He often discussed what the DigiDestined were involved in with her, but never mentioned what he thought of them aside from a snide comment or two.

But tonight was going to be different. Her partner had promised to tell her about his past, so Nicole was simply waiting to be summoned for the meeting. She was intensely curious about IceDevimon, but had never found the nerve to bring up the subject before. The teen had watched and listened through the ice mirror as Jijimon told them the Prophecy of Ages, and had spent hours wondering what it meant.

A faint breath of cool wind beside her made Nicole turn to see IceDevimon standing there. He gave her a quick nod and motioned behind him. "Come inside Nicole. I have much to tell you." Nodding, she silently followed her partner into the cavern and through several twisting tunnels until they reached a small cave. Setting down on the cool floor, IceDevimon folded his ragged white wings and waiting while Nicole sat down across from him.

"First, I must tell you that this place is not the Digital World." He smiled at her surprised expression, then continued. "We are currently residing in the Dark Area. Like the Digital World, it is a parallel universe that is connected to the Real World by electronic means, but it is separated from all of the other parallel worlds that exist. I believe the term you humans use is 'firewall', but it is supposed to keep the Dark Area cut off from everything else."

"But we can see things that are happening in the Digital World!" Nicole broke in.

"Yes, I'll explain that later." IceDevimon said curtly, red eyes narrowing slightly at the interruption.

"Now, I will speak of my past. As you know from Jijimon, there was a great war long ago. I took part in that war, and gained a considerable amount of power because of the fighting. But I was defeated by a more powerful Digimon, and sealed in here for eternity."

"Being sealed in here cost me a lot of power, but I wasn't deleted permanently. I was weak, but determined to reach my goal of ruling over the Digital World, which is what I dreamed of doing after helping to win the war. Slowly, over the centuries, I became stronger, and began to test the boundaries of the Dark Area. I realized that although the protective firewall was quite powerful, it could be breached. Do you remember what was in the frozen cave when you first arrived?" IceDevimon asked suddenly.

"Um…" Nicole frowned and tried to remember. She hadn't been back since, but she did recall the icy spires jutting up from the frozen lake had contained something. "There was something contained within the shards of ice, but I couldn't make out what." she said finally, returning her gaze to her partner.

"The "something" you saw are Digimon, frozen in stasis and my current source of power." IceDevimon explained calmly. "Since it takes a lot of my strength to break the firewall between the Dark Area and the Digital World, even for a second, I extract the data from the Digimon I have previously captured in order to open the portal. Once the portal is open, I can then capture even more Digimon for future use."

"I can also breach the firewall to recruit minions to do my bidding. At the moment, my force is still small, but it is growing more powerful every day. It is I who have been encouraging Digimon to rise up and take power all over the Digital World, as well as ordering them to attack the DigiDestined once they arrived."

"So…you plan on escaping from here and causing another revolt?" Nicole asked, trying to absorb all of the information she had just heard.

"Eventually, yes. And that is where you come in, Nicole. I realized that I would need help to rule the Digital World, so when I saw that Jijimon was planning on opening the portal to the Real World to let humans in, I decided that I too needed a human partner. Using the method I described earlier, I opened the portal between the worlds and brought you here." Falling silent, IceDevimon merely gazed at Nicole, waiting for a response.

So she had been chosen at random. Nicole had been toying with the idea that she had been picked because she had some special trait that IceDevimon needed, but apparently not. Even so, she wasn't that disappointed, the girl still found it great to be with an actual Digimon, even if it had been due to chance.

"I'll help you in any way possible, IceDevimon." Nicole promised confidently, giving him a smile. "After all, the Digital World needs a strong ruler, and from what I've seen, Digimon seem to be more powerful when they had a human partner."

"Indeed, the DigiDestined's Digimon are nothing special, but they certainly seem stronger than other members of their species." the pale Digimon replied, nodding to himself.

"Is there anything I can do in aiding in future plans? I know the DigiDestined well, seeing as how they are my former friends." Giving a faint smile, Nicole added, "I might be able to think up something they wouldn't expect…"

IceDevimon thought for a moment, then fixed his crimson eyes on her. "Yes…yes, I'm sure you'll be useful in helping to harass the DigiDestined." he replied slowly, letting out a sinister chuckle and rising. "But before we set any more of my minions on them, let's first gather some information." the pale Digimon added.

Also standing up, Nicole fell into step beside him. "How are you going to do that?"

"One of my most loyal followers is particularly good at extracting knowledge from others. After failing to capture one of the DigiDestined when they arrived, he now seeks to do everything possible to obtain all the information about those humans. You could almost call him obsessed with the idea." Turning to glance at Nicole, IceDevimon laid a cool hand on her shoulder.

"But he has been known to use crude methods to gather knowledge. If this upsets you-"

"No." the teen interrupted firmly. "Tell this Digimon to do whatever it takes to get information out of the DigiDestined they capture."

Looking faintly surprised, her partner nodded. "Very well. I'll go pass on those instructions." Turning he set off down a side tunnel at a brisk pace, leaving Nicole alone.


	9. Whisper in the Night

Chapter 9: Whisper in the Night

Sam stared down at the faint light emitted by the crystal flowers, trying to decide which way to go. He stood partway down the opposite hill where Baronmon's shine sat, looking out over the ridges and valleys of the Crystal Hills. With his orange and grey Digivice clipped firmly to his belt, the DigiDestined started off at a steady walk down the incline.

It had been several days since the group had arrived at Baronmon's shine, and they had done little but relax and regain their strength. The three humans had also discussed the Prophecy of Ages earlier that day, but they hadn't been about to fully understand all that it said. Sam had lain awake until long after the others had started snoring, then had dressed, grabbed his Digivice, and crept out.

He was fed up with feeling inferior to Kit and Amanda. They had Digimon who could protect them and help fight the growing threat to the Digital World. What did he have? Nothing. Sam was frustrated at being the only one who didn't have a partner, so had decided to take matters into his own hands. Jijimon was wrong. He didn't need to rely on his friends; he would find his own partner by himself.

"I know you're out there…" he whispered, feeling a cool breeze blow past him, accompanied by the quiet chiming of the flowers . His Digivice did have an area scanner mode, but he had located nothing of interest on it when he activated it upon sneaking outside.

Starting down the hill again, Sam ignored the shadow the passed over him, thinking that it was nothing more than a small cloud. He kept walking steady for a few more minutes, easily reaching the valley floor. A faint ringing sound was growing behind him, but the teen knew that it was only the wind on the flower petals. The sound came closer and grew even louder, then something grabbed him around the waist. Letting out a yell as he was lifted high into the air, Sam struggled uselessly against whatever was holding him, then twisted around to see who had grabbed him.

An enormous black bird held him in its talons, all of the feathers on its body flickering as if on fire. You're…a Saberdramon!" Sam exclaimed, easily identifying the Champion Digimon. The bird just snorted and titled sideways, changing direction and speeding up. Looking around, the DigiDestined saw that the two moons were now on his right side, indicating that he was being taken in a southeast direction.

Wondering where he was heading, Sam stared down at the landscape far below, knowing that if he had had his partner, this wouldn't have happened.

- - -

After about an hour of steady flying, Saberdramon dropped lower, swooping down upon a small forest. Sam narrowed his blue eyes, scanning the twisting trees as the giant bird flew over their tops, alert for danger as his Digimon kidnapper banked and hovered above a tiny clearing. Letting out a screech, the Saberdramon suddenly released him, and the teen landed with a hard thump on the packed dirt below. Sitting up and gasping for air, he watched as the Champion Digimon gained height and flew off, then looked back down as the bushes rustled.

A small group stepped into the clearing, and Sam gulped nervously. A mixture of Dokunemon and Mushroomon surrounded him, and none of them looked friendly. He knew that the green worm-like Dokunemon were both poisonous and could generate a strong electrical attack, while the walking toadstool Mushroomon threw mushrooms that produced a number of nasty effects to defeat their enemies. One of the Mushroomon stepped forward and leered at Sam.

"We can do this one of two ways, kid. One, you can let us capture you without a fight, or two, you attempt to hurt us and we not only capture you but also inflict pain as well. What'll it be?"

The male was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. He was unarmed and surrounded by a bunch of bad Digimon, so there was no point in trying to escape or fight them.

"I'll take the first option." Sam said finally, hoping that the purple toadstool wasn't lying. The Mushroomon grunted and nodded, re-joining the crowd as three Dokunemon moved out. "Capture Net!" the hissed together, opening their small beaks and spitting a large amount of thread at him. The DigiDestined winced as the substance hit his bare arms, but allowed the Rookie Digimon to wrap him from neck to ankle in the white thread. Since he was already on the ground, Sam didn't have far to fall as he was pushed over onto his back, then dragged into the eerie forest; still surrounded by the Dokunemon and pulled along by the Mushroomon.

"Why do I always end up getting captured by evil Digimon?" he muttered aloud as the procession moved though the undergrowth. The teen noticed that all of the tree branches had been twisted into strange shapes, and that the leaves were a sickly yellow colour. "What is this place?" he asked, curious to at least know where he had been taken.

"This is Root Jungle." one of the Dokunemon answered.

"Why was I brought here?"

"You'll find that out soon." Seeing that it was pointless to ask further questions, Sam simply sighed and grunted as he was dragged along. As they moved deeper into the trees, it became darker and damper, and Sam realized that large roots now arched high overhead, supporting massive trees that towered high into the sky. Eventually, the teen was unable to see the trees because the twisting roots acted as a screen between the forest floor and the tree trunks.

"We're here!" one of the Mushroomon pulling him sang, and group came to a halt. Twisting his body around, Sam saw that they had stopped at the base of a giant tree, although he could only see the massive roots that supported it. The roots formed a natural archway over a stone door, which had been opened to allow the Digimon and their prisoner to enter. But blocking the entrance was another Digimon, one that Sam had only heard of before.

"One of the patrolling Saberdramon found this DigiDestined wandering in the Crystal Hills, sir." A Dokunemon explained, flicking the sharp stinger on its tail in Sam's direction.

"Yes, I can see that." Piedmon replied dryly, moving over to smile jubilantly down at him. "I can also see his is alone. Where is his partner?"

"Uh, we don't know. The patrol dropped him off alone."

"I see…" the clown Digimon murmured, bending over to stare into the teen's blue eyes for several seconds. Straightening up, he clapped his hands and ordered, "Move him inside, and bring his Digivice to me."

"Yes sir!" The Mushroomon chorused, and began to pull Sam towards the open doorway. Despite having remained silent throughout the exchange, his mind was whirling with questions. What did Piedmon want with him? Why was he concerned with Sam in the first place? Would Baronmon be able to see what had happened, and if so, would his friends try to come after him? The male frowned at this thought. He didn't want to look like a weakling again, which was why he had set out to find his partner in the first place. He would get out of this on his own, then go find his partner.

Sam was so caught up in his thoughts that he barely noticed when the Mushroomon started to tear off the layers of netting that bound him. Realizing what was going on, he started to wiggle around, trying to get an arm or leg free so he could attack the Rookie Digimon and escape.

"We'll have none of that!" a Mushroomon sneered, holding a palm upwards and summoning a handful of tiny mushrooms with a puff of purple smoke. "Fungus Cruncher!" the small Digimon yelled, quickly throwing the mushrooms at Sam's face. The fungi exploded into a fine powder as they hit his cheek, and the teen breathed it in by accident as he tried to turn his face away. Immediately, his eyelids felt heavy and everything started to fade into blackness, indicating that the Mushroomon had attacked him with sleeping powder.

Coughing, Sam struggled to remain awake, but couldn't keep his eyes open. Within a few seconds, the DigiDestined had fallen into a deep sleep.

- - -

Sam groaned, waking up slowly. The first thing he noticed was that he was now upright. Blinking to clear the sleep from his eyes, the teen examined his surroundings. He was in some sort of cave, the curved earth walls indicating that it wasn't a natural formation. Thin roots growing out of the wall held his wrists above his head, and his feet were bound in a similar manner.

Hearing a faint humming coming from the corner of the room, Sam whipped his head in that direction and gasped as Piedmon floated out of the shadows, a gleeful smile on his face. A white gloved had held his Digivice, which was emitting a dark purple glow from the screen.

"Give that back!" Sam cried, struggling to free himself from the tangled roots.

"I don't think so." the Digimon replied, slipping the small device into a hidden pocket and folding his arms. "Not that it's much use to you, anyway. You don't even have a Digimon to use it on." The teen frowned, but didn't respond. He was worried about the strange glow coming from his Digivice, and he suspected that Piedmon had done something to the Digivice.

"What do you want?" he asked finally, blue eyes narrowed into an angry glare. The clown-like Mega chuckled and floated closer. Leaning down, he stared into Sam's eyes and said softly, "I want information out if you, DigiDestined. I failed last time to capture one of you, so I don't intend to let this opportunity to go to waste."

"Well, that's too bad, 'cause I'm not going to tell you anything!" Sam shot back, meeting the Digimon's gaze defiantly.

"Is that so?" Straightening up, Piedmon moved backwards a few feet, then landed on the cave floor. The teen watched as the masked Digimon slowly removed a sword from one of the four scabbards strapped to his back, then twirled it idly with his left hand. Realizing at he might be in more trouble than he had previously thought, Sam eyed the sharp edges of the sword as it spun, hoping that the Digimon wasn't planning on using it on him.

Piedmon suddenly stopped twirling the sword and pointed the tip of the blade at the teen. "I suggest you start by telling me how you arrived in the Digital World, DigiDestined." he said calmly. Gritting his teeth, Sam recalled how his father used to do the same thing. But he had been a kid then, not old enough to defend himself. This was different.

"No."

The Mega Digimon looked surprised at his refusal, then smiled. "Interesting…then how about this? Ending Spell!" Piedmon had flicked his free hand at Sam while he spoke, and a small knife was suddenly arcing through the air towards the human. Before he had time to cry out, the knife plunged straight into his heart. Sam gasped, horrified that Piedmon would kill him so casually just because he had refused to answer the Digimon's question. But no pain radiated from the fatal wound; instead, the cave around the DigiDestined dissolved into a cloud of mist.

_"Leave Mom alone!" _a young voice cried.

_"Make me, you little brat._" a man's voice answered, the words slightly slurred. Two figures appeared out of the mist, and Sam gasped in shock. Standing in front of him was a seven-year-old version of himself, hands balled into fists and glaring upwards at the other person. The second figure was Sam's father, his clothes dishevelled and clutching a beer bottle.

_"What? Too scared to stand up for what you believe in?"_ his father taunted, chuckling and taking a unsteady step towards his son. "No…" Sam shook his head, trying to forget what was about to happen. This scene haunted his darkest nightmares, and he didn't want to have to live though it again.

"_I…I'm not afraid of you!"_ his younger self shot back, raising his fists and standing his ground. _"Mom says you shouldn't be afraid to stand up to a bully, and that's what you are. A big bully!" _

_"She's wrong!"_ his father roared, his face a deep red colour. _"She's a lying, unfaithful b-"_

_"Don't call her that!_" the younger Sam shouted, raising a fist and lunging towards the bigger male. The man grunted as the fist slammed into his stomach, then shoved his son backwards onto the floor. _"She teach you to do that, too?! Huh?"_ his father bellowed in return, walking over and lifting his son up by the collar of his shirt. _"I asked you a question, Samuel. If you don't answer, you'll get hurt."_

Sam shook his head violently, trying desperately to block out the memory that he was seeing. "No…I don't want to see it again. Please, make it stop." he whispered. But the memory continued, and tears welled up in his eyes as he watched the scene unfold.

_"Answer me!"_ he father growled, giving his younger self a hard shake. But the young Sam shook his head and refused to speak. The older man grew even more angry as the silence continued, then swung the beer bottle.

His tears prevented Sam from seeing clearly, but he heard the yelp of pain from his younger self as the bottle shattered over his head. Squeezing his eyes shut, the teen tried to block out the sound of his father ranting as he started to slap his son, still trying to get the boy to answer his earlier question.

A sharp stab of pain made him blink back his tears, and Sam saw that the fog had vanished. Piedmon now stood over him, holding the small knife in his hand. Glancing down, the DigiDestined saw that while there was a small hole in his T-shirt, no blood darkened the red fabric.

"Now…are you willing to talk to me?" Sam sniffed, wondering what the right answer was. Piedmon was obviously part of the reason why the Digital World was falling into chaos, so Sam didn't want to help the enemy he had been chosen to fight against. But his memory had shown what had happened the last time he had refused to speak, and the teen was certain that the Digimon could inflict more pain than his father ever had.

Blue eyes lowered, he shook his head. No, he wasn't ready to give in just yet. Piedmon would have to do a lot more to get him to betray his friends. Sam heard the Mega sigh, then speak two words. "Ending Spell!"

- - -

"So you know about the Prophecy of Ages and the ancient war…" Piedmon mused, but Sam ignored the Digimon. He had no idea how long the Mega had questioned him, but the teen had eventually been forced to reveal everything he knew to him. His mind was numb from all the times Piedmon had forced him to re-live his worst memories, sometimes repeating the same one over and over. Blood trickled from the three small cuts on his cheek, running down his neck and staining the collar of his dark red T-shirt. His ribs ached from the bruises that were forming there, but the DigiDestined knew it could have been much worse. At least he didn't have any broken bones.

"Well, I guess I have no further use for you…" Sam looked up into the eyes that peered out of the back-and-white facemask, surprised at the statement. "W-what do…you mean?" he muttered, his chest throbbing at every word.

"I mean that I've accomplished what I was ordered to do." The clown Digimon explained. "Which means you can have this back." Floating closer, Piedmon withdrew Sam's orange and brown Digivice from a hidden pocket and clipped it to the teen's belt. Backing away, he snapped his fingers. Immediately, the roots that had bound Sam's hands and feet loosened, and he dropped to the floor of the cave with a thud.

While the DigiDestined struggled to his feet, a group of Mushroomon entered the room and bowed to Piedmon. "What are your orders, sir?"

"Escort him out of Root Jungle, then return here." The Digimon ordered, then nodded to Sam and floated out of the cave. The Mushroomon regarded Sam for a minute, then they chuckled and formed a loose circle around him, leading him back towards the entrance.

Sensing that the Rookie Digimon were up to no good, Sam watched those around him carefully, trying to figure out what their intent was. But the purple mushroom caps continued to bob along in front of him as the group moved out into Root Jungle. They continued to walk for a while, then the small Digimon moved aside.

"Keep going this way to get out of Root Jungle." one of them said, pointing a finger in the indicated direction. Nodding Sam started to walk forward, ignoring the pain in his ribs and the stinging of his cheek.

"Hehehehe…" hearing a low snigger behind him, Sam broke into a run, not wanting to find out what the Mushroomon were planning.

"Destructive Mushroom Bomb!" a series of small explosions rained dirt and root fragments down onto the teen's back, but he kept running.

- - -

"Destructive Mushroom Bomb!" Sam stumbled, panting for breath, but regained his balance and kept up the steady trot through the grassland. The sun had risen hours ago and was now high in the sky, but the Mushroomon kept following the DigiDestined. The teen had learned early on that the Rookie Digimon weren't attacking to injure him, just to keep him moving.

Jogging up a small hill, Sam saw that the cliffs ahead of him were now really large. They had been a faint outline on the horizon when the sun had risen, but had steadily gotten bigger as he moved closer to them. Now, he was almost at their base. A faint boom behind him indicated that the Mushroomon were still there, but were having a hard time keeping up.

Panting heavily, the DigiDestined continued to jog forward, keep his mind focussed on reaching the cliffs. If he didn't, Sam was almost certain that he would pass out, and he didn't want to be kidnapped by another evil Digimon while unconscious. After another fifteen minutes, the teen sighed and came to a halt, basking in the cool shade provided by the shadow of the cliffs. The ground beneath his sneakers had turned from green grass to a dry, rocky area, reminding Sam strongly of a desert.

"There he is! Destructive Mushroom Bomb!" a shout made him turn to see the cluster of Mushroomon standing not too far away, all of them looking exhausted after the long chase. Together, the Rookie Digimon summoned a mushroom in one hand and threw them towards Sam, who quickly dove out of the way as the fungi hit the ground and exploded. Coughing on the clouds of dust that had been thrown into the air, he scrambled to his feet and took off down a narrow passage between two of the cliffs, hoping to escape the Mushroomon.

Behind him, Sam heard another chorus of "Destructive Mushroom Bomb!", and ducked behind a nearby bolder as several explosions tore into the cliff faces above the path. Once the dust had settled and small rocks had stopped falling, the DigiDestined peered out to see what had happened. The Mushroomon had sent a huge pile of rocks crashing down onto the path, effectively preventing him from going back the way he had come.

"Shoot." Sam muttered, leaning against the boulder and sighing angrily. He was now trapped, with no water or food, and no way of contacting his friends. As the canyon started to spin around him, he realized just how sore and tired he was. Blinking a few times, the teen stumbled up the path, determined to find a small cave before he collapsed.

Spotting a narrow crevice between two boulders, Sam squeezed in between them and crawled along the cramped tunnel until he reached a large cave. Seeing that no Digimon was about to attack him for invading its lair, he immediately curled up and drifted into unconsciousness.


	10. Burning Spirits

Chapter 10: Burning Spirits

A low beeping noise caused Sam to wake up with a groan. He lay there for several seconds, trying to figure out where the noise was coming from, then realized what it was. Rolling over onto his back with a grunt, he unclipped his Digivice and held it up to his face. It was beeping every two seconds, and the screen showed a white flashing dot close by.

Propping himself up on an elbow, Sam looked around the cave, and noticed the faint red glow coming from a depression a few feet away. Too weak to stand up, he crawled over and peered over the edge, his blue eyes widening.

The red glow was coming from an object that sat on the bottom of the shallow hole. It appeared to be a miniature suit of armour, with a white chest plate, red shoulder guards, and a red helmet with two horns branching out from either side. Curious, Sam rolled into the depression and knelt in front of the strange object, the red glow fading as he did so.

Hoping it was nothing dangerous, he reached out and picked up the item with both hands, surprised to find it had been sitting on top of a small hole. A pillar of red light shot up out of the opening, and the DigiDestined scrambled backwards, expecting an attack. Instead, a form appeared inside the pillar, curled up as if asleep. Eyes wide, Sam watched as the figure opened its eyes, yawned, and somersaulted out of the light pillar, landing in front of him. As light faded away and the hole closed over, the figure knelt down and smiled kindly. "Hello there. I'm Flamon, your partner."

Sam stared at the Digimon. "My…partner?" he repeated softly.

"Yep. Valdurmon sealed me in that hole, saying that whoever could lift the H Spirit of Fire would be my partner."

"Oh. Um, I'm Sam."

"Nice to finally meet you, Sam."

"Yeah…same to you." the teen said awkwardly, slightly dazed by the fact he had come across his partner so unexpectedly. Flamon appeared to be a bit shorter than he was, with tanned skin, green eyes, bushy red hair and a matching tail. Two small nubs of what might be horns protruded from his head, and a strange symbol was tattooed in white on his chest and underneath his eyes. The Digimon wore red fingerless gloves on his hands, and matching pants that ended just past his knees. Two red circles were around his ankles, and his feet were bare and tipped with stubby claws. Flamon also wore a thick black belt with a large silver buckle, and a small gold earring pierced each pointy ear. Sam then realized that Flamon's clothes were just a shade lighter than his own dark red T-Shirt. "Hey…we match."

"Yeah! I guess that proves we are meant to be partners." Flamon replied with a laugh.

Sam smiled in return, then glanced down at the object he held. "What was this again?"

"Valdurmon told me it was the H Spirit of Fire, and would help me in some way." The Digimon said with a shrug.

"I wonder…" the DigiDestined muttered, transferring the Spirit to one hand and holding up his Digivice with the other. A red glow shone from the screen, and when Sam pointed the Digivice towards the H Spirit of Fire, the glow expanded to envelop the item and sucked it in. Peering at the screen, he saw that he could access a small icon of the Spirit by pressing one of the buttons.

"I guess that would be the 'Storage' option." he said, returning the Digivice to his belt.

"What is it?" Flamon asked, green eyes bright with curiosity.

"It's called a Digivice, and it's main purpose is to help you Digivolve." the teen explained. "By the way, what stage of growth are you at?"

"I'm at the Rookie stage, but I seem to be more powerful that other Rookie Digimon for some reason. I'm also a Vaccine type."

"That's good. Vaccine Digimon are usually stronger than Virus types in a fight."

"Yes, but I'm sure that some of the evil Digimon are also Vaccine or Data types. At least, there were some of those who fought on the side of the Seven Great Demon Lords during the war."

"You were there?" Sam asked, surprised to hear that his partner had been involved in the ancient conflict.

"Yes, although I wasn't strong enough to help fight at the time. After Valdurmon had defeated the evil Digimon, he came to me and asked if I would like to help save the Digital World in the distant future. I agreed, and he sealed me under the H Spirit of Fire, saying that I would remain there until one of the Chosen Five came to let me out." Flamon said, gesturing towards where the Spirit had sat.

"Wow…you've been in there for a while." the teen murmured, awed that his partner had met Valdurmon. Although he hadn't learned much about the powerful Digimon, he knew that Valdurmon was partly responsible for why he and his friends had come to the Digital World.

"Apparently too long. You look like you could have used my help." Sam nodded grimly and put a hand to his cheek, feeling the dried blood beneath his fingertips. "I want you to tell me everything that has happened since you were brought here." Flamon said, slipping and arm around his shoulders and helping the DigiDestined out of the shallow hole and towards the cave wall.

Sam nodded again, and for the second time in as many days, he launched into a detailed explanation of what he had gone though.

- - -

"Where could he have gone?" Amanda asked, her voice filled with worry.

"I don't know…but he's been missing for two days." Kit answered, light brown eyes fixed on the screen of her Digivice. It showed a cluster of five blue dots, which represented Amanda, Kit, their Digimon, and Baronmon. Ever since she had discovered Sam gone when they had woken up two mornings ago, the teen had been periodically checking to see if the other DigiDestined was nearby. Sighing heavily, she returned the device to her vest pocket and stood up.

"I want to go find him." she announced, causing everyone to look at her in surprise.

"But Baronmon said Sam is really far away." ToyAgumon objected. "And besides, he can't pinpoint his location for some reason. We could be walking straight into a trap."

"If Sam was taken by an evil Digimon, we have to go rescue him!" Kit answered, slightly irritated that her partner wasn't agreeing with her.

"Perhaps Sam just doesn't want to be found." Otamamon suggested, hopping over to sit beside Nicole.

"Then he should have left a note instead of sneaking off in the middle of the night. I agree that we should at least look for him." Nicole muttered, crossing her arms and frowning at the two Digimon.

"If you really feel that way, Chosen Ones, I can direct you to a Digimon who could take you to Keeper's Wasteland." Kit turned to see Baronmon standing in the doorway of the room, obviously having been there for some time.

"Really?" she asked, glad that the masked Digimon was willing to help them.

"Yes. But first, I must be certain that you all agree that this is the right thing to do." The DigiDestined glanced around the room, receiving a quick nod from Amanda, followed by a slightly hesitant nod from Otamamon.

"What about you, ToyAgumon? You were willing to help out last time." the teen asked, seeing the colourful dinosaur shift uneasily at her words.

"We knew exactly what we were getting in to when we faced Musyamon. Even then, we almost didn't defeat him. This time, we have no idea what we might find, and Keeper's Wasteland has a very bad reputation for not letting go of whatever happens to wander into it." the Rookie Digimon replied.

"But you can Digivolve now, so it won't be so bad. Besides, Sam doesn't have a partner yet, so he has no way of fighting back if a bad Digimon were to attack him. We _need_ to help him." the DigiDestined pleaded. ToyAgumon was silent for a minute, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright, we'll go search for him."

"Great! Baronmon, who is this Digimon you mentioned?" Kit asked, returning her attention to their host.

"Her name is Hippogryphomon, and she has agreed to fly you to Keeper's Wasteland."

"You already asked her before knowing our decision? Did you foresee our answer?" Nicole asked, sounding surprised.

"No, but I assumed that you would eventually want to go look for your friend, so I asked Hippogryphomon to take you if you decided to leave." Baronmon answered, turning and leading the group out of his shrine and past the stone pillars that guarded it.

Waiting just beyond the pillars was Hippogryphomon. She had the head and wings of a bird of prey, with a large yellow beak and light green eyes. Both forelegs ended in three muscular talons, and while her body resembled that of a horse, complete with a silver tail, sharp talons also extended from each gold hoof. Hippogryphomon's head and body were pure white, with two lavender stripes midway down her forelegs, another set on her back, and a single large stripe of each of her hind legs. A metal collar was fastened around the Digimon's neck, and attached to it was a golden eyeball with wings.

Kit stared at Hippogryphomon, noting her resemblance to the Hippogriff of Earth's legends. Noting her look, the large Digimon nodded politely at her as the group approached, then looked down at Baronmon. The ancient Digimon gestured at the two humans and their partners and said, "These two of the Chosen Five I've told you about."

"I see…so you are the ones who will save our world…" Hippogryphomon replied softly, light green eyes examining all of the carefully.

"Baronmon said that you'd take us to Keeper's Wasteland. Is it far away?" Kit asked.

"It would take you a little under a week to walk there, and you would be going through territory that is now under the control of evil Digimon. Since I know you must be anxious to get going, please climb onto my back." The group nodded, and when the mythical Digimon had crouched down, they all scrambled up onto her back.

Looping and arm around ToyAgumon to make sure he didn't fall off, Kit glanced down at Baronmon.

"Thank you for everything, Baronmon. Jijimon was right to send us to you." The mystic Digimon nodded and responded, "I was happy to assist in any way possible. Once you find Sam, return to the south. You'll be needed there."

"What does he mean by that?" Amanda hissed from her seat behind Kit, but the teen merely shrugged. Baronmon could foresee the future, so perhaps he saw something that would require the attention of the DigiDestined. But only time would tell.

As Hippogryphomon straightened up and prepared to take off, everyone quickly called goodbye to the ancient Digimon.

"Goodbye, Baronmon!"

"Thanks for your help!"

"Thank you, Baronmon! I hope we meet again!" With a mighty jump and a few flaps of her wings, the mythical Digimon was airborne. Kit tightened her grip of her partner and waved with her free hand, seeing the masked Digimon on the ground return the gesture.

"Settle in, DigiDestined. This is going to be a long flight." Hippogryphomon called over her shoulder.

"I've never flown before…everything looks so tiny." Otamamon said from behind Kit.

"Hey, at least we get to see more of the Digital World this way." Amanda commented, and the other girl nodded, pulling out her Digivice and activating the Area Scanner mode. If they came close to Sam, she wanted to be the first to know about it.

- - -

"I suppose we better find a way out of here…" Sam said with a sigh, gazing around at the towering cliffs on either side of him. The early morning sun shone down into the canyon, illuminating him and Flamon as they stood outside the small cave.

"Yes, we shouldn't stay here too long. Besides, I'm sure the other DigiDestined are looking for you." his partner replied, giving the teen a reassuring smile. Sam frowned slightly, knowing that Kit and Amanda were probably quite worried about him. Even though he had found his partner Digimon, the boy didn't want to have to tell his friends what Piedmon had done to him.

A small surge of anger at the thought of Piedmon's torture made Sam clench his teeth. The next time he encountered one of the Mega Digimon's minions, he would show them that he wasn't a weak human. He was a DigiDestined, and he deserved some respect because of it.

"Come on, let's look for a way out." Sam said abruptly, turning and walking deeper into the canyon. With Flamon keeping pace beside him, they wandered through a network of dusty canyons, finally coming to a halt several hours later.

"Wow, Keeper's Wasteland sure has gotten bigger since I was last here." Flamon murmured softly, gazing out at the huge rock formations that dotted the massive plain before them.

"It's gigantic…" Sam breathed, watching a small dust storm blow across the distant horizon. Glancing at his partner, he gestured at the barren landscape. "I guess we won't be finding an exit this way. Shall we go back and look for another way out?"

"Yes, that's a good idea. There could be evil Digimon around." the Rookie Digimon responded, turning to walk back the way they had come.

A faint movement in the distance caught Sam's attention, and he paused to look closer. A small dust cloud had separated from the larger storm and was moving towards the pair at a steady pace. Narrowing his eyes, the teen could just make out the two hazy shapes that were causing the dust cloud, but something about them seemed familiar. Were they Digimon?

"What is it?" Flamon asked, also noticing the approaching forms and staring at them.

"I think they're Digimon…." Unclipping his Digivice from his belt, Sam flicked to the Area Scanner mode and sighed. Two red dots were quickly approaching the two blue dots that indicated Sam and his Digimon, which meant that enemy Digimon had indeed found them.

"Should we try and run? You're still injured from your last encounter with bad Digimon." Flamon asked, peering over his shoulder at the Digivice. Sam closed his eyes for a moment, thinking. He didn't want to get into a fight, but there was nowhere to run to, and he was curious to see how strong his partner was.

"No. We stay for now." he answered after a few seconds, opening his eyes and seeing Flamon nod in agreement.

"Alright then, leave everything to me." his partner responded, moving from the shadow of the cliffs out onto the dusty plain. The DigiDestined backed up a few steps and watched as the other Digimon approached and became visible.

Loping towards them were two Cyclonemon, but something wasn't right. They were both about ten feet tall, and had dark brown armoured facemasks that completely obscured their right eye as well as covering a large horn that projected from their foreheads. Their bodes were bulging with muscles, and a rounded metal plate with two small curved spikes sticking out covered their right shoulders. Both of the Cyclonemon's right forearms were bigger than their left and ended in two large claws, and their tails were partially covered in metal plating. But while one of them had the normal light brown skin colour of that species, the other was a deep red colour that Sam had never seen before.

"What's going on?" the teen asked himself, confused by the odd colour of one of the Cyclonemon. But he didn't dwell on it, as the Champion Digimon skidded to a halt not far from Flamon and let out twin roars that echoed through the canyon system behind Sam. The red one let out a growl and retreated to let its companion attack first.

"Arm Bomber!" he snarled, leaping into the air and falling towards the Rookie Digimon, right arm drawn back in preparation to strike. Flamon leapt sideways and easily avoided the descending claw, then lunged towards the Virus type.

"Flame Paws!" he cried, orange flames erupting around his fists as he repeatedly punched the other Digimon. The Cyclonemon stumbled backwards, roaring in pain, but Sam's partner wasn't finished yet.

"Flame Tail!" Twisting sideways, Flamon lashed out with a flaming tail, hitting the opponent directly in the stomach. The force of the impact caused the large Digimon to crash to the ground, burn marks covering his muscled chest.

"Grrrahhh! Hyper Heat!" Sam watched in awe as the Cyclonemon struggled to his feet, then fired a red beam of energy from his mouth at Flamon in retaliation for the earlier attacks. The Rookie sprang into the air at the last second, the attack instead hitting a cliff wall and sending down a cascade of rocks. Still in mid-air, Flamon curled into a ball and started to somersault rapidly as bright orange flames engulfed his body. "Baby Salamander!"

The spinning fireball shot towards the Cyclonemon and tore through him, leaving behind a large hole. Stunned by the sudden attack, the Champion Digimon didn't say a word as he dissolved into data bits and was blown away by the wind. Shocked by Flamon's easy defeat of the more powerful Digimon, Sam watched as the flames surrounding his partner vanished as the Rookie landed lightly on the ground in front of the other Cyclonemon.

"Impressive." the Digimon growled, claws flexing in anticipation. "But still, you'll have to do more than that to defeat me!" The teen shuddered at the raw anger in the Champion's voice, and wondered yet again why he was red instead of light brown.

"We'll see about that." Flamon replied coolly, taking a step towards the larger Digimon. "Flame Paws!" Leaping at Cyclonemon, he attempted to punch the enemy, but was easily swatted aside by Cyclonemon's huge right arm.

"Hyper Heat!" Sam stared at the massive beam that shot out of the Virus type's jaws, quickly seeing the difference in power between the previous Cyclonemon and this one. Flamon barely managed to avoid the attack, which left a large trench in its wake.

"Be careful, Flamon. He's much more powerful!" the male called, seeing his partner nod in acknowledgement.

"Baby Salamander!" Flamon rolled into a spinning fireball and sped towards the Champion Digimon, who turned sideways and swung the metal plated part of his tail in response, knocking the Rookie to the ground.

"Flamon…" Sam murmured, stunned to see his partner in so much trouble. Resentment began to build inside of him towards Cyclonemon. Why couldn't they have just left him and his partner alone? Were they under orders by Piedmon to attack them? The DigiDestined watched with mounting anger as Flamon tried again and again to attack, but only managed to inflict minor damage upon the Cyclonemon. When his partner slid to a halt a few feet away from him, blue liquid dripping from numerous wounds on his body, Sam had had enough.

His hand shaking with anger, he held out his Digivice. A strong purple glow was shining from the screen, but Sam ignored it. He had more important things to deal with right now. "Flamon! Spirit Execute!" he shouted, blue eyes fixed on the red Cyclonemon. A red shimmer appeared in the purple light, then a red-and-purple beam shot out of the device and engulfed the battered Rookie.

"Flamon Spirit Digivolve to…**Agunimon!**"

A tornado of blue fire burst from the sphere of light that had surrounded Flamon, but quickly died down to reveal his Champion form. Angry as he was, even Sam couldn't suppress the shiver that went through him. Agunimon wore the armour that composed the H Spirit if Fire, but something was seriously wrong. Black armour covered his shoulders, chest, arms and legs with dull gold trimming the edges of it. The mid-morning sun glinted off the matching helmet and shiny silver horns that protruded from the sides, as well as metal gauntlets on his hands and greaves on his feet. A mane of shaggy yellow hair reached down to his waist, giving the Champion Digimon an even more fearsome look.

Golden eyes fixed on the red Cyclonemon, Agunimon spoke, his voice a deep rasp. "Any last words before you join your companion?"

The other Digimon let out a low growl and shook his armoured head. "You may have changed forms, but you won't get an easy victory. Arm Bomber!" Charging forward, Cyclonemon stabbed his massive right arm at his opponent. Drawing back his left fist in response, Agunimon countered the attack. "Crimson Knuckle!"

Blue fire burst out of the holes on the gauntlet that covered his hand and surrounded the fist as the two Champions' attacks met head-on. Cyclonemon's claws scraped against the metal gauntlet, causing little damage, and he was forced to back off to avoid getting burned any further. Snarling, he circled sideways, then attacked again.

"Hyper Heat!"

"Burning Salamander!" Sam's partner spun around, creating a large fiery vortex around him so powerful that it split the energy beam in half as it advanced towards the Virus Digimon. Unable to move out of the way in time, the red Cyclonemon was swept into the burning tornado, and Sam saw data particles float upwards after a few seconds. Agunimon continued to generate the swirling inferno for a few more moments before letting it burn out, coming to a halt a few feet in front of the teen.

Swallowing hard, Sam stared at his partner. Was this truly Flamon's Champion form? He felt extremely weak, like all his energy was being sucked out of him, as well as slightly sick. Glancing down at the Digivice he still clutched, the DigiDestined saw that the background of the small screen had turned a dark purple shade, and what seemed to be an icon of a black seed was being shown in the centre of the screen.

Before he had time to think about it further, Sam suddenly swayed and dropped to his knees, breathing hard. Titling his face upwards, he saw that Agunimon had taken several steps closer to him, a dark expression on his face. "A…Agunimon…what are you…doing?" he panted, worried about the strange behaviour of his partner.

The Champion suddenly took a step back, looking confused. "I…don't know…" he muttered. The armour-clad Digimon then gasped harshly, dropped to one knee in front of Sam, and de-Digivolved back to Flamon in a burst of purple light. Staring at the screen of his Digivice again, the teen saw that the seed had vanished along with the purple background, and that the H Spirit of Fire had returned to its storage place.

Confused and realizing that they had to get out of this place soon, Sam rose slowly to his feet, intending to help his shaken partner up as well. But a gust of wind and the flapping of wings in the sky behind him made the DigiDestined whirl around in fear, fully expecting to see another Saberdramon swooping down upon him.

- - -

"Wow, I'm glad we didn't have to walk to Keeper's Wasteland." Amanda said, dark brown eyes roaming over the landscape below.

"Yeah, my legs would have been tired!" Otamamon replied, wigging a little against her partner's tight grip.

"I would have carried you some of the way." the girl answered, smiling down at the amphibian Digimon.

"I know. But after our last experience in the Endless Plains, I don't want to walk through it ever again." the Rookie commented, and Amanda easily recalled the short but deadly battle with the Shima Unimon.

"I think I found him!" Kit suddenly yelled excitedly, waving her Digivice around. Curious, the teen pulled out her own blue-and-white device and squinted at the screen. Sure enough, two flashing dots could be seen near the edge of the screen, along with a larger red dot. Holding tightly onto Hippogryphomon's back with her legs, Amanda leaned forward and looked ahead, seeing that they were flying over a canyon system that turned into a wide dusty plain farther along.

As she watched, a large beam of red light flashed along the horizon, indicating that something was under attack. Realizing that her friend could be in trouble, Amanda called up to the Digimon carrying them. "Can you fly faster? I think Sam might be under attack."

"I'm going as fast as I can, DigiDestined. Your friend will just have to hold out until we arrive." the mythical Digimon responded, sounding slightly tired. Nodding, the girl settled back in place, gazing out towards the approaching battle with a slight frown.

"I think Sam may have found his partner…there's a second blue dot with him. Either that, or a friendly Digimon is helping to protect him." Kit said, twisting around to face the DigiDestined.

"If it is his partner, I wonder what Digimon it is?" Otamamon asked. Amanda just shrugged, distracted by repeated beams of energy being fired in the distance. Suddenly, a flash of what seemed to be blue fire sprang up for a moment, then faded.

Hoping that Sam was alright and wishing that Hippogryphomon would go faster, the teen kept her eyes focused on the ever-closer battle that was raging just inside the barren plain. She could barely make out that two Digimon were fighting an intense duel when one of them fired a massive red beam. The other Digimon responded by forming a large tornado of blue fire that split the in-coming beam and hit the Digimon that had fired it. When the vortex vanished, only one Digimon remained.

Amanda gasped at the power displayed by the two Digimon, and she faintly heard Kit and their Digimon make similar noises. "Hold on everyone, it's going to be a little rough." Hippogryphomon called out, apparently unconcerned about the battle they had witnessed from afar. Both DigiDestined were distracted as they held their partners tighter while flying Digimon descended towards the battlefield, then made a gentle landing on the rocky ground.

Upon landing, Amanda barely noticed devastation the battle had caused to the surrounding area due to the fact that she had spotted Sam. He had just risen from the ground as Hippogryphomon prepared to land, but spun around the sound of her wings, eyes wide with fear.

"Sam!" Kit cried, sliding off of the Digimon's back and racing towards him. ToyAgumon, Amanda, and Otamamon quickly followed, all calling greetings to the other DigiDestined. The look of fear had vanished as soon as the teen realized who they were, and he was now smiling broadly at them.

"Are you alright?"

"What happened to you?"

"Where did you go?"

"What was the battle about?" Sam waved around his hands to ward off the bombardment of questions, then replied, "I'll answer everything once we get out of here, ok?"

"Alright…" Kit said, and Amanda noticed that although she looked relieved, there was a touch of annoyance in her voice. "Who's that?" Everyone followed her pointing finger to stare at a strange Digimon that was kneeling not far away, looking battered and quite tired. Walking over, Sam bent down and helped the Digimon to its feet, then re-joined them.

"This is Flamon. He's my partner." he answered, a proud smile on his face.

"Awesome, you found your partner at last!" Amanda exclaimed, returning his smile.

"DigiDestined, I suggest that we leave soon. I still have a long way to take you." Hippogryphomon said, flexing her wings.

"That's a good idea. Sam, this is Hippogryphomon. She's the one who brought us here from Baronmon's shrine." ToyAgumon explained, and the male DigiDestined smiled up at her in greeting.

"But how are you going to carry us all?" Otamamon asked, hopping towards the large Digimon.

"I'll carry Sam and his partner in my front claws and the rest of you on my back like before." she responded. Nodding in agreement, Sam helped Flamon over to her, then gestured for the others to climb on first. Amanda waited until Kit and ToyAgumon had resumed their original places, then sat back in her previous spot along with her partner.

Hippogryphomon rose to a crouching position, keeping her back level so the humans and Digimon wouldn't fall off, and formed two seats with her front talons. Flamon curled up in one, quickly dropping off to sleep, and Sam settled in the other. Spreading her wings wide, the mythical Digimon took flight, wheeling around to the south-west and flying off that direction.

- - -

While the different coloured versions of Cyclonemon and Agunimon aren't 'offical' Digimon, they appear in the various Digimon games as a way to have more opponents without creating more Digimon. Plus, they tie into a larger story arc that will be revealed in future chapters.


	11. Of Eggs and Empires

Chapter 11: Of Eggs and Empires

"Is this what Baronmon meant when he told us to "go south"?" Kit asked, gazing down at the serene village that Hippogryphomon was quickly approaching. It was a collection of small wooden houses with thatched roofs sitting beside a large lake. A river flowed into the lake from the north-west, and another river drained out of it, moving slowly towards the south-east.

"Maybe…it certainly looks peaceful from up here." ToyAgumon replied, his green eyes also fixed on the village.

"I know this place! It's Dash Village, and the lake next to it is Dash Lake. One of the rivers that drains from Lotus Lake leads here." Otamamon explained from behind the teen. Nodding, Kit examined the collection of buildings as Hippogryphomon dropped lower and finally landed with a gentle thump. The DigiDestined climbed down from the mythical Digimon, thanked her for all her help, then waved goodbye as she flew northwards.

"Ok…so now what?" Amanda asked, turning to face the rest of the group.

"How about we go introduce ourselves?" ToyAgumon suggested, gesturing towards the nearby village. "If we're not needed anywhere, this would be a good opportunity to rest."

"That sounds good." his human partner agreed, adding, "Besides, Sam promised to tell us what happened while he was gone." The male DigiDestined gave a tired smile and nodded, then followed the rest of the group as they walked towards Dash Village.

- - -

"Whoah…" Kit murmured, shocked by what Sam had just related. Stunned by the horrible experience her friend had been though, the teen dropped her gaze to the floor and fell silent. She had never imagined that Digimon could be so cruel, even one that was supposed to be evil. Shifting uneasily, the girl looked up after a minute and gave Sam an encouraging smile. "I promise you that I won't let Piedmon get away with what he did. Next time we face his minions, I'll show them that us DigiDestined really shouldn't be messed with."

"And I'll be right there with you, Kit. Someone who is as twisted as that deserves to be taught a lesson." Amanda added, giving the two DigiDestined a confident smile.

"You guys would really do that for me?" Sam asked, looking surprised at their passionate responses.

"Of course! Not only are you a fellow DigiDestined, but your also our friend!" Kit replied, reaching over to pat him on the shoulder. "I'd be a bad friend if I didn't try to help your out, no matter what you went though."

"Thanks, you guys." the male DigiDestined said, giving both Kit and Amanda grateful smiles. "Even though we're stuck here in the Digital World, I'm glad that you two are with me."

"Right back at ya, buddy." Kit answered, grinned broadly and giving her friend a thumbs up, and the other two DigiDestined quickly smiled and returned the gesture.

- - -

Amanda was pleased to see that Sam now looked a little happier, but she sensed that it would take a while for him to get over the damage Piedmon had inflicted on him. She watched as the teen rose and walked out of the cabin they were sharing, presumably to wander around Dash Village and think. Kit left soon after, saying that she was going to go relax in her room. Their Digimon were outside, and the girl could hear the laughter as they played a game of tag with some of the village's In-Training Digimon.

Settling back on the cushion she was sitting on, the DigiDestined wondered what was next for them. Baronmon had hinted that something big would take place soon, and the teen knew that they humans and their partners would have to deal with it. Sighing, Amanda decided that a little fresh air might help to dispel the gloomy thoughts about the future, so rose and headed out to explore Dash Village.

She walked slowly through the small village, smiling and waving whenever one of the local Digimon greeted her. Reaching the last of the wooden cabins, she turned to head back when her Digivice let out a loud beep.

"Huh? What's going on?" Amanda asked in surprise, removing the small blue-and-white device from the pocket of her jogging pants and peering at the screen. It was on Area Scanner mode, and showed a white flashing dot not too far from her current location. Confused, the girl looked around, but saw nothing suspicious.

"Strange…" she muttered, dark brown eyes returning to stare at the flashing icon. "I wonder what that dot is?"

"Amanda! Come play!" Looking up, the teen quickly spotted her partner waving to her, surrounded by a group of Bukamon. Smiling at the sight of the brown seal-like In-Training Digimon, Amanda quickly joined her partner next to the lake.

"I'd love to…but I'm trying to figure something out." she replied slowly.

"What's the problem?" Otamamon asked, hopping closer as the human knelt down to show her the image on the Digivice's screen.

"I'm trying to find out what that white dot is. From right here, it seems to be just off to my left." Amanda replied, chuckling as the Bukamon stared in awe at the device she held.

"Hm…whatever it is, it seems to be in the middle of Dash Lake." the Rookie Digimon replied, waving a clawed hand towards the calm waters beside them.

"But how am I supposed to get it if it's underwater?!" the DigiDestined responded, slightly irritated at the difficult task she suddenly faced. "The water looks deep, and I don't know if I can hold my breath that long."

"We can find it!"

"Yeah, let us help!"

"We're good swimmers, let us get whatever's down there!" A chorus of offers rose up from the Bukamon around her, and Amanda quickly nodded in agreement.

"That would be wonderful! But don't push yourselves if it's too deep." Amanda warned, then looked at her partner. "Go with them, Otamamon. I'm sure you can help out."

"Sure thing!" Otamamon hopped towards the water and dove in, followed eagerly by the group of In-Training Digimon. Amanda watched their shadows slip down though the water before vanishing from sight. Smiling at how thoughtful the Bukamon were, the teen sat down on the warm grass and waited for the Digimon to return, her gaze switching between the map shown on her Digivice and the waters of Dash Lake.

Fortunately, she didn't have long to wait. A little over ten minutes later, Amanda noticed that the flashing dot was moving rapidly towards her, so she watched impatiently as Otamamon and the other Digimon rose out of the depths of the lake, her partner finally surfacing a few feet away from shore.

Otamamon climbed up onto the bank, blue skin damp from the water, and gestured towards the band of approaching Bukamon. "You'll never believe what we found!" she exclaimed, voice filled with excitement. Curious, the DigiDestined waited until the Bukamon surfaced, then gasped at what they carried.

Four of the aquatic Digimon were supporting a strange object. It was egg-shaped, with a bland green shell that had a light green teardrop crest on the front. The lower part of the teardrop had a thin circle in the middle of it that matched the colour of the egg, with a small dot in the centre of the circle the same colour as the outer teardrop. The entire thing was resting on what seemed to be a large, four-pointed ninja star.

Wondering what in the world it was, Amanda reached out and took the item from the Bukamon, finding that it rested easily in the palm of her hand. As if by instinct, she pointed her Digivice towards the object, then watched in amazement as it was sucked into the small device in a glow of pale blue light.

"That was cool." Otamamon commented, pulling the girl away from her semi-trance.

"Yeah…but what was the item you guys found?" the teen asked dazedly.

"It was the DigiEgg of Sincerity."

Amanda turned to see a Gabumon standing behind her. Vaguely resembling a bear, he stood on two legs and wore a white animal skin that was covered in blue stripes. A sharp horn jutted from the middle of his forehead, but the teen knew that most Gabumon were kind Digimon.

"A DigiEgg? You mean a Digimon will hatch from it?" she asked, confused.

"No. Legend has it that there are special DigiEggs that will help a Digimon to Digivolve to a more powerful form." The Rookie Digimon patiently explained.

"Ok…but what does the Sincerity part of the description stand for?"

"I have no idea. Perhaps it means that only someone who exhibits that trait can use the DigiEgg effectively?" Gabumon replied, shrugging.

"Maybe…" the DigiDestined whispered, gazing down at the icon of the DigiEgg that was shown on the screen of her Digivice. "Oh, thanks for getting this everyone." she said, turning and smiling at the assembled Bukamon.

They assured her that it was no problem, then floated away, chattering among themselves. Gabumon quickly followed, saying that he would watch over them. Amanda watched him go, then looked down at her partner.

"Let's go tell the others." the girl suggested, and Otamamon eagerly bounded ahead of her, leading the way back to their cabin.

- - -

"Ending Snipe!" The ground around Lotus Lake shook violently as a number of energy beams slammed into it, creating large craters in their wake and sending up clouds of soil and dust. Piedmon lowered the swords he held in each hand, satisfied that he had caused enough of a panic for now. As he had been ordered to, the clown Digimon hadn't touched the Lotus Temple or the water surrounding it, although he would have liked to have done more damage that a few craters.

"Master IceDevimon better have a good reason for sending me on such a lowly errand…" Piedmon muttered angrily as he kicked the Saberdramon he was riding on to descend. Once the bird had landed, he hopped lightly off and returned his swords to their sheaths, deeming it would be unwise to present an aggressive image to the guardian of Lotus Temple.

The forest around him was now deathly silent as he strode to the edge of the lake, skirting one of the recently formed craters along the way. Turning his golden eyes downward, the Mega gazed intently into Lotus Lake, easily spotting the shadow that was rapidly ascending towards the surface.

Moments later, the Digimon surfaced, towering high above Piedmon and looking ready to fight until deletion.

"What do _you_ want?" Seadramon hissed in fury, blue eyes fixed on the brightly clothed figure standing on the shore.

"I don't want to fight you, Seadramon. I came here for only one thing." the Mega replied, calmly regarding the serpent Digimon before him.

"And what might that be?"

"The White DigiEgg that you are currently keeping here."

"The DigiDestined left that in my care, and I'm not going to give it to the likes of you!" The Champion cried, rearing back and glaring in anger at the other Digimon.

"No? As I see it, you have two options. First, you could continue to refuse to give me that DigiEgg, leaving me no choice but to delete you and then take it; or you could just give it to me and I'll leave peacefully." Piedmon replied, confident that Seadramon would cave in to his highly reasonable demands.

Seadramon considered his words for a few moments, then hissed angrily. "Fine…I'll give you the DigiEgg if you promise to leave immediately."

"I promise." the Mega replied, placing a gloved hand on his chest and bowing slightly.

"Then wait here." Turning, the serpent Digimon dove back into the water, returning a few minutes later with the requested item held firmly by his tail. Piedmon reached out and accepted the Digiegg from Seadramon, then walked back to the waiting Saberdramon. Mounting the large black bird, he gave the Digimon a hard kick, and the Champion quickly took off and started to fly back towards Root Jungle.

"Hey! Wait!" Hearing a faint cry from below, Piedmon glanced down and spotted a figure waving to him from the upper branches of a tree.

"Turn around and hover above that tree." the clown Digimon ordered, intrigued by this unexpected event. The Saberdramon quickly complied, and Piedmon found himself staring down at a badly beaten Gazimon.

"Please take me with you, Lord Piedmon!" the Rookie Digimon begged, red eyes fixed on his golden ones. The Mega realized that the Gazimon must have served under Musyamon, then ran away after he was defeated and turned back into a DigiEgg. The same DigiEgg that he now held. Perhaps this Digimon could provide him with some useful information…

"You may come. Hold onto Saberdramon's foot." Piedmon said briskly, eager to return to his base and report back to Mast IceDevimon.

"Thank you, Lord Piedmon! I promise you won't regret it!" the Gazimon gushed, scrambling onto the bird Digimon's waiting talons. At another kick from him, the Saberdramon once more turned to the north-east and started to fly.

- - -

"I obtained the DigiEgg from Lotus Temple, Master." Piedmon said, bowing low. IceDevimon nodded, pleased that his loyal servant had done well yet again. The Digimon was standing on the surface of the frozen lake with an ice sheet hovering before him. A similar one was set up on Piedmon's end, allowing the two to easily converse despite being separated by the firewall that surrounded the Dark Area.

"Excellent work once again, Piedmon. Is the egg undamaged?"

"Yes, Master. Shall I send it though?" the other Digimon replied, reaching off to the side and holding the DigiEgg up for the Champion to see.

"Yes, I want to examine it for myself." Piedmon nodded and moved out of view. IceDevimon also stepped away from the ice sheet, walking towards a shadowed corner were a small device sat. The object was made out of polished white stone and composed of a square base with a round column rising out of it. On top of the column was a rounded disk, flat in the centre but rising slightly upwards along the rim. The object was an ancient teleportation device that IceDevimon had found scattered in pieces around the Dark Area and repaired over the centuries. Once he had started his communication with Piedmon, he had ordered the other Mega to find a matching device and set it up on his side, something that the clown Digimon had eventually managed to do after much searching.

His crimson eyes fixed upon it, he watched as a mote of light appeared in the centre of the disk and expanded to become the White DigiEgg. The Champion smirked, thinking that Piedmon must have been furious to have to go chasing after such a common thing. But this DigiEgg was important to him, and was part of the first step in his plan to gain control of the Digital World.

Lifting the DigiEgg off of the disk, he ran a claw over its smooth surface, marvelling at how white the shell was. Spreading his wings, IceDevimon soared upwards towards the tunnel leading to the warmer part of his lair, anxious to get the egg somewhere safe. He quickly ascended to the top of the tunnel and flew down a twisting side passage before emerging in another large room.

Six stone circles were set into the floor along the edges of the circular cave, with a matching stone pedestal set up beside each. Striding over to the closest one, The Champion bend down and placed the DigiEgg in the middle of the stone circle, then stepped back. After a second, a pillar of white light shot upwards from the circle, and the DigiEgg floated up to hover in the centre of the light pillar, just a little bit higher than the edge of the pedestal beside it.

IceDevimon now moved to stand in front of the pedestal, closing his eyes and raising his hands so that the palms were half a foot apart. Breathing in deeply, he concentrated hard, accessing the data Piedmon had send him a few days prior. A collection of tiny data fragments materialized between his hands, and began to swirl around, gradually growing bigger and coalescing into two objects after a few minutes. Finished, the Digimon grabbed the two items out of mid-air and assessed his work.

"Perfect…they're perfect…" he breathed, a smile stretching across his pale face as he gazed down at the Dark Digivices he held. They were similar in design to the ones the DigiDestined carried, except they were both jet black and the five-pointed star was crimson instead on each instead of being a different colour like the Chosen Ones had.

Reaching out, the Digimon placed the one with the back-and-grey colour scheme on the pedestal, where a black cable snaked out of the antenna and connected with the shell of the DigiEgg floating inside the light pillar. Nodding in satisfaction, IceDevimon turned and strode out of the cave. He had other things to do right now.

- - -

"Nicole. I have something important to say to you." Curious, the teen quickly sat down across from her partner, wondering what he was about to tell her. "Before I say anything, I want to give you this. Hold out your hand." Nicole obeyed, then gasped in surprise when she saw what the Digimon had handed to her.

"It's…a Digivice!" she exclaimed, examining the oval device with interest. It was almost completely black, with a crimson five-pointed star branching off from the screen. Beneath the screen were a row of buttons, and a small antenna poked out of the top of the Digivice. Nicole smirked slightly, admiring the gold highlights that completed the colour scheme of the small object.

"That Digivice is now yours, so be careful to never loose it. Now, to what I must tell you. I have done the most I can possibly do under the circumstances to lead the revolt currently underway in the Digital World. But I must devote my undivided attention and powers to finding a way to completely breach the protective firewall and return to the Digital World. Because of this, I will no longer be able to provide adequate command for my followers who wait for us there. You, Nicole, will take over my post and become the true leader of those who want a ruler for the Digital World."

The teen stared at her partner, shocked by this sudden turn of fortunes. "Me…lead?" she asked haltingly, and received a encouraging nod from her Digimon. Dropping her brown eyes to the stone floor, she took a moment to absorb the news, then grinned. "I'll be in complete control…no one would dare to question my orders. I'd be all-powerful, a ruler in my own right." Her grin grew wider as she considered the endless possibilities that now lay before her.

"I could be a _Digimon Empress!_"

The girl paused, then decided she liked the title. "Yes. The Digimon Empress. Ruler of the entire Digital World…ruler of my own Digital Empire. Along with you, IceDevimon." she added, realizing that she couldn't leave her partner out of the picture.

"Then it's official. You are now the Digimon Empress." IceDevimon replied, standing up and gesturing towards her room. "I modified the ice sheet in there so you can communicate freely with the leader of the Digimon on the other side. If you wish, you may go and give him new orders."

"Thank you, IceDevimon." Nicole responded, also rising and moving towards the exit. "I'll go do that right now."

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Several of the concepts in this chapter were borrowed from Season Two, and the Spirit Digivolution in the previous chapter was from Season Four for those of you who aren't familiar with it.

In other news, I altered some of the chapter names slightly, but I did not make any changes to the content in them. I also want to thank everyone who has read or reviewed this story up to this point, and I hope you continue to read and enjoy my spin on the Digital World.


	12. A Terrible Loss

Chapter 12: A Terrible Loss

Gazimon knelt on the moist earthen floor of the cave, listening in as Lord Piedmon got new orders. He was hidden in the hallway outside the Mega Digimon's communications room, right next to the archway that led to it. Upon arriving, Gazimon had peeked inside, and saw that the one issuing him those instructions was a human, something that had shocked the Rookie. But it quickly became apparent that this human was not connected to those meddling children who had deleted his former boss. Far from it, in fact.

Flicking his red eyes around the corner for a moment, he saw that the other Digimon was paying no attention to the doorway behind him, so slid inside the room and stretched out underneath a shadowed table to better observe the conversation.

"So Master IceDevimon put you in charge of leading the operations here in the Digital World?" Piedmon asked, his tone indicating that he was less than impressed with the decision.

"Yes, he did. From now on, you will receive your orders from me, and me alone." the human stated decisively. "Until I arrive in the DigiWorld, you may address me as 'Mistress'."

"Of course, Mistress. Now, Is there anything I can do for you?" the clown Digimon asked, offering a short bow with his response. The human was silent for a moment, and Gazimon listened closely, not wanting to miss anything.

"I want you to send a squad to attack the DigiDestined. And I don't mean scare them with a few Digimon, either. Do as much damage as possible to their Digimon, without killing the humans. Although they are annoying, I don't want them dead. Understand?"

"Completely, Mistress." Piedmon replied, and the hidden Rookie could easily envision the smile that was stretching across the other Digimon's face.

"Also…I have a personal request for you." A few seconds of silence followed, then the human continued. "I desire to be in possession of Clockmon's data. You know how he defeated Musyamon…I have no wish for the DigiDestined to have that kind of power. Make sure that one of the Digimon in the attack squad is powerful enough to defeat Clockmon, then capture his data before it dissolves completely."

"Impressive plan, Mistress. If everything goes smoothly, it will be a serious blow to this interfering children." Piedmon responded, seemingly extremely pleased at the idea.

"Not if, Piedmon, not if. I won't tolerate failure on either part of the attack." the human replied sharply, and Gazimon winced at the harsh tone. Sensing that nothing important was going to be said, he silently crept out of the operations room and headed back to the common area.

"I'd do anything to be a part of that attack squad…anything." he murmured, red eyes envisioning the sight of the battle that would soon take place.

- - -

"Alright everyone, that's enough for now!" Amanda called, picking up the soccer ball and walking over to sit next to Sam. The assembled In-Training and Rookie Digimon also dispersed, talking excitedly among themselves about the game they had just finished. The male smiled, enjoying the sight of so many happy Digimon. After all the battles that had happened recently, it was good to take a break.

A large explosion suddenly rocked Dash Village, sending Digimon scurrying for cover. "What was that?!" Amanda cried, leaping to her feet and running in the direction of the explosion. Worried about the inhabitants who had been playing in that area, Sam followed, and Kit and ToyAgumon soon joined them.

As they arrived at the northern side of the village, the teen stopped and stared at the destruction. Several of the wooden cabins had been completely destroyed, a large crater marking where the buildings had once stood. A few more were on fire, and Rookie Digimon were desperately trying to put out the flames with water from the lake. Several Gabumon were herding a group of In-Training Digimon away from the area, and all looked extremely frightened.

"This isn't good…" Kit muttered, pointing upwards into the clear blue sky. Sam followed her finger and groaned, seeing that four Digimon were circling high above the village. He didn't need to check his Digivice to know that they were enemies. The flying Digimon descended lower, close enough for the male to make them out.

"They're…Saberdramon?" Sam asked, confused by the strange appearance of the enemy Digimon. The one who had kidnapped him had had black feathers and yellow eyes, but the ones approaching had dark blue feathers and glowing red eyes. Frowning, he silently wondered if there was a connection between all the odd-coloured Digimon they had encountered so far.

"I thought Saberdramon were black, not blue." Amanda commented, eyeing the Champion Digimon warily.

"Normal ones are black. I don't think these guys are normal." ToyAgumon replied.

"We still have to fight them." Otamamon pointed out, and the male DigiDestined turned to see that Flamon and Otamamon now stood beside him.

"True enough. Let's go!" Kit cried, holding out her Digivice.

"ToyAgumon Digivolve to…**Clockmon**!" The half-machine, half-humanoid Digimon appeared as the sphere of white light vanished, hammer at the ready. Following suit, Amanda held out her own Digivice and called, "DigiArmour Energize!"

A beam of light blue light shot out of the device and engulfed Otamamon, then formed into a glowing orb of the same hue.

"Otamamon Armour Digivolve to…**Frogmon**!"

As her name suggested, Frogmon was a frog Digimon. She was just over three feet high, with bright yellow skin on her back that turned white underneath her skin and stomach. Orange eyes stared out at the world, but her entire head was overshadowed by the transparent leaf-shaped face shield that was attached to the red jetpack on Frogmon's back. The jetpack also had metal stalks that projected upwards, ending in eight green metal propellers on either stalk. A brown sheath containing a knife was strapped to each of her powerful hind legs, and the Digimon held a small green metal ninja star in each hand, the pattern on them closely resembling the propellers on her back. Finally, her hind legs were webbed and ended in three sharp claws that could also inflict damage in a fight.

Sam glanced uneasily at his partner, aware of what had happened last time Flamon had Digivolved. The Digimon grinned back and said confidently, "Don't worry about me, I can handle it." The teen considered the statement for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright, but if you feel yourself loosing control, de-Digivolve."

"Will do." Seeing that the Saberdramon were swooping even lower to the ground, he pointed his Digivice towards his partner.

Swallowing his nervousness, Sam cried, "Spirit Execute!" A beam of purple and red light surrounded Flamon, and condensed into a shimmering sphere within seconds.

"Flamon Spirit Digivolve to…**Agunimon**!" The orb exploded outwards into a tornado of blue fire, which quickly spun out to show the black-armoured Digimon. Sam sighed, relieved that the strange feeling from the last battle was not affecting him now.

"Wow…you guys have awesome Champion forms." Kit commented, looking impressed at the sight of Frogmon and Agunimon.

"We can compare Digimon later. Right now, we need to focus." Sam said tensely, blue eyes locked onto the circling birds.

"Right. Clockmon, you know what to do!" The other DigiDestined replied, returning her attention to the enemy Digimon.

"Black Sabre!" One of the Saberdramon croaked, levelling off and flapping it's wings several times. A group of black feathers shot out of it's wings and towards Clockmon, who countered by spinning his hammer and shouting "Chrono Breaker!"

The feathers immediately slowed down, allowing for Kit's partner to move out of their path, then the attack slammed into the ground, creating a large hole. The attacking Saberdramon drew back, preparing to unleash another round of the dart-like feathers, but Frogmon attacked first.

"Leaf Wheel Cutter!" she cried, hurling both of the ninja stars at the enemy Digimon. Squawking, it was forced to retreat upwards to avoid the attack, allowing the other three Saberdramon to advance.

"Black Saber!" The one farthest away sent a swarm of black feathers at Frogmon, who lowered the leaf face shield so that it was covering her head, letting them bounce harmlessly off. The Armour Digimon then rocketed upwards using her jetpack, speeding past the other avian Digimon and aiming at her attacker.

"Brush Dagger!" Just before she collided with the Saberdramon, Frogmon withdrew the knives from their sheaths and thrust them before her. The surprised Champion was unable to retaliate before the knife-wielding Digimon ripped through it's chest and out the other side, leaving behind a small but lethal hole. The hole grew wider as the data around it was deleted, and the Saberdramon quickly dissolved in a swirl of blue particles.

Meanwhile, the remaining avian Digimon weren't letting up their assault. "Mach Shadow!" another cried, diving towards Clockmon and turning into a mass of swirling dark blue smoke. The machine Digimon couldn't do much except watch as the smoky shadow descended and ploughed into him, sending him tumbling backwards from the blow.

Wheeling around, the shadowy Saberdramon flew at Clockmon again, but this time the Champion was able to attack first. "Chrono Buster!" he cried, bringing the hammer down upon his own head. Becoming a blur, Clockmon easily moved out of the bird Digimon's path. Screeching in frustration, the attacker reverted back to its usual form and resumed circling above the battle. A few moments later, Frogmon flew up to it and began attacking, darting out of range whenever her opponent got too close.

The last Saberdramon was focused on Agunimon, but the Spirit Digimon was easily repelling the dart-like feathers that rained down on him. Finally, the annoyed avian Digimon changed tactics.

"Night Roar!" Beak open, a ball of black energy could be seen forming in its throat, then it expanded into a beam and shot towards Agunimon.

"Vortex Strike!" The armoured Champion retaliated by forming a small tornado of blue fire around his right fist, then punched it forward at the incoming beam. The two attacks collided in mid-air and pushed against each other, but nether attack was powerful enough to overcome the other.

Teeth gritted, Agunimon seemed to focus for a moment, then the tornado suddenly expanded in size, quickly overpowering his opponent's attack and sending both attacks back onto the Saberdramon. The bird Digimon let out a shriek as the fire enveloped him, then vanished as its data was deleted.

"Brush Dagger!" Sam switched his attention back to Frogmon as she successfully shoved her knifes through the remaining Saberdramon, and it quickly dissolved in a cloud of blue data particles.

"Well, I guess that's it." Sam said with a sigh, happy that no more damage had been done to Dash Village.

"Yeah…I hope Piedmon realizes that we just won't give up and leave, no matter how many Digimon he sends at us." Kit replied, looking proud at having helped in defeating more evil Digimon.

"I doubt it." Frogmon answered, descending from the sky to hover at eye-level, the propellers a blur as they helped keep her airborne. Sam opened his mouth to suggest that they head back when an echoing roar cut him off.

- - -

Kit froze, her ears still ringing from the booming roar. Spinning around, she searched the flat landscape, looking for the source of the sound. Another roar made her pause and squint at the horizon. Something was skimming over the ground rapidly approaching the three DigiDestined.

"This doesn't look good…" she muttered apprehensively, watching the new threat grow larger and larger as it came closer.

"I'll defend you, Kit, no matter what it is." Clockmon said firmly, taking a few steps towards the distant Digimon and clutching his hammer. Smiling faintly at the courage of her partner, the teen backed away to make more room for the inevitable battle. Agunimon also strode out to stand beside Clockmon, with Frogmon moving to his other side, still airborne.

"I wonder what Digimon it is?" Amanda mused as she and Sam joined Kit back by one of the large craters. "I think we're about to find out." Sam replied grimly, another loud roar following his words.

The enemy Digimon could now be seen clearly in the distance, and Kit gasped as she recognized it. "It's MetalGreymon!" she exclaimed, then added, "And it looks like he's a Virus Type, too."

The huge dinosaur-like Digimon had dark blue skin with darker blue stripes on his chest, neck and tail. MetalGreymon had a muscular body, which was evident in the bulging hind legs and thick tail. A metal mask covered the top part of his head, with horns jutting out from each side and another horn protruding from the top of his nose. Pale blue eyes glared out from the eye sockets of the mask, and dark red hair flowed out the back of it and covered his neck. Half of his chest was also covered in metal, and his left arm was entirely encased in metal that formed into a large three-pronged claw. Finally, two large ragged purple wings extended from his back, which he was currently employing to fly.

As the Ultimate Digimon got closer, Kit realized just how big he was. MetalGreymon was about 20 feet tall, large enough to dwarf Agunimon and Clockmon. Next to him, Frogmon would look like a yellow flea. Letting out a final bellow, the dinosaur descended and landed on the ground, easily moving into a distance-consuming run.

"We can't let him attack first! Clockmon, slow him down!" Kit yelled, feeling the ground shake beneath her feet as the enemy Digimon ran towards them.

"Right! Chrono Breaker!" her partner cried, twirling his hammer in the air and pointing it towards MetalGreymon. The larger Digimon growled at the attack hit him, and slowed down slightly, allowing for the other two Champions to attack.

"Burning Salamander!" Agunimon shouted, leaping forwards and forming into a large tornado of blue fire. "Leaf Wheel Cutter!" Frogmon cried, producing the metal ninja stars and throwing them towards her opponent.

Agunimon's attack struck MetalGreymon in the chest, forcing him to take a few steps backwards but causing little damage, while the ninja stars bounced off of his helmet, leaving a few small scratches behind. Snorting in anger, the Ultimate glared at the DigiDestined and growled, "It that the best you have?! Frankly, I don't see how you ever managed to beat Musyamon with those weak Digimon. Let me show you _real _power!"

Planting his feet, the Virus Type suddenly roared, "Megaton Punch!" The metal casing on his chest flew open, sending two black missiles rocketing towards Agunimon. Surprised, the Spirit Digimon barely managed to leap out of the way before the they landed, creating a powerful explosion and sending up a cloud of dust.

Coughing, Kit squinted through the hazy cloud, amazed at the display of power. "He's…too…strong." Amanda gasped, also trying to see what was going on.

"We can't give up! If we do, not only will Dash Village be destroyed, but this entire section of the Digital World will be in danger." the girl responded. "Although I don't like all the battles we've been in lately, we must keep fighting, if only to keep the DigiWorld safe."

"She's right. We can't give up." Sam agreed, gazing at the battle as the dust cleared. Glancing at her friend, Kit saw Amanda give a hesitant nod, then focused back on the ongoing fight.

MetalGreymon appeared none the worse for wear even though he was being attacked repeatedly. Clockmon was switching between slowing down the Ultimate and speeding up his companions' attacks, with limited success.

"Brush Dagger!" Frogmon sped towards the dinosaur, knives aimed at his chest. "Strong Claw!" The other Digimon bellowed, swiping at the Armour Digimon with his right arm. Although not protected in metal, his sharp claws were more than enough to send the smaller Frogmon crashing into the ground.

"Oh no! Frogmon!" Amada cried, barely able to keep from running over to her partner.

"Chrono Breaker!"

"Crimson Knuckle!" Clockmon swung his hammer at Agunimon, who sped up as he ran towards MetalGreymon, his right fist surrounded by fire.

"Not quick enough! Booster Claw!" The Ultimate snarled, drawing his massive metal claw back and jabbing it at his attacker.

"Burning Salamander!" Spinning into a fiery blue tornado, the Spirit Digimon was forced abandon his attack in order to defend himself. The raging tornado collided with the metal claw, sending Agunimon flying backwards to land in a heap beside Frogmon.

"Agunimon! Come on, don't give up now!" Sam called, trying to urge his partner to return to the fight. Kit looked on in fearful silence, knowing that Clockmon was next.

"And now for you…" MetalGreymon growled, pale blue eyes fixed on the humanoid-clock Digimon. Tightening his grip on his hammer, the Champion glared back. "I'm not giving up without a fight." he stated, the right arm that was attached to the alarm clock portion of his body lifting up and pointing at his opponent. Then the alarm clock itself started to ring shrilly.

Wincing at the sound, Kit watched as the red light mounted on his right arm began to glow, small sparks sliding over the metal. A vortex of light started to swirl around his arm, and the two nozzles that were mounted on the arm sucked it in, quickly melting away to allow the metal tube that contained the red light to slid into their former place. The alarm clock abruptly stopped ringing, and Clockmon pointed the now glowing red light squarely at MetalGreymon.

"Time Buster!" A rainbow-coloured beam shot out of the light and towards the Virus Digimon, who countered with an attack of his own.

"Revenge Flame!" A white-hot ball of fire exploded from between MetalGreymon's jaws and slammed into the rainbow beam, forcing it back onto Clockmon. Light brown eyes widening in shock, Kit darted forwards towards her partner, intending to rescue him if he de-Digivolved and was about to be deleted.

"Kit! No!" Sam shouted, but the teen ignored him and ran at her partner, who was struggling to block the fireball with his hammer. Feet sliding leaving trenches in the ground as he slid backwards, Clockmon gave a gasp as his hammer was deleted, then the fireball struck him.

Standing a few feet behind her partner, Kit watched in horror as the while ball of flame rolled over her partner, Clockmon's own attack not being strong enough to repel it alone. "NO! CLOCKMON!" Kit screamed, tears blurring her vision as he partner was engulfed by the flames.

Reaching blindly into her vest pocket, the girl brought out her Digivice, thinking that it might be able to do something, _anything _to save Clockmon. Stumbling forwards, she pointed the device at the inferno, but nothing happened as the fireball expanded towards her.

"No!!!" Kit screamed again, refusing to give up. If only her partner could Digivolve to Ultimate…

A gust of warm air washed over her, whipping the tears from her eyes. Blinking furiously, she squinted into the source of the breeze, and saw that her Digivice was shielding her from being engulfed by MetalGreymon's fire.

"Clockmon…" she whispered, tears threatening to overwhelm her again.

"Kit…thank you for everything…." As Clockmon's voice drifted out from the flames raging in front of her, Kit dropped to her knees, still clutching her Digivice. Cracks started to appear on it, and she gasped as it suddenly disintegrated into a cloud of data fragments.

"No…" she moaned, defenceless against the flames. Without warning, the fireball exploded outwards, but before they touched her, the teen was thrown backwards by a more powerful but invisible force.

Eyes wide, she felt her body being crushed under the stain of the invisible power, but strangely felt no pain. Blinking, Kit realized that she was still kneeling on the scorched earth. Hearing a triumphant laugh, she looked up to see Piedmon standing on the back of yet another Saberdramon, holding onto a red bag that was bulging as something tried to force its way out.

"Poor DigiDestined!" he sneered, pointing behind Kit with his free hand. "Not only have you lost one of your precious Digimon, but his human partner as well! But I won't finish you off here…no, that isn't why I came. My orders were to collect this!"

Grinning, he held up the wiggling bag for a few seconds, then called, "Come MetalGreymon!" The Ultimate Digimon growled in fury, but turned and flew off after the Saberdramon.

Utterly confused, Kit stood up and turned around, intending to ask what Piedmon had meant. Instead, she froze and stared. Ten feet away, Sam and Amanda were kneeling beside her still body, looking shocked at what had just occurred.

"Is…is she dead?" Amanda asked, tears running down her cheeks.

"I don't know…" Sam answered helplessly.

"Let's get her back to Dash Village." Flamon said faintly, limping over and carrying an unconscious Motimon. Nodding distantly, Sam carefully lifted Kit's body and walked slowly back towards the village with his partner, Amanda trailing behind them.

"This…this can't be happening…" Kit muttered gazing down at her own semi-transparent body. "What am I supposed to do now?"

- - -

**Author's Notes**: The MetalGreymon featured in this chapter is similar to the one seen in Season 02, when Tai's Agumon Digivolved into a Virus-Type MetalGreymon via a modified Dark Ring. Also, the next three chapters will revolve largely around Kit, forming a mini character arc that will be titled "Phantom".


	13. Phantom: The Lost Island

Chapter 13: Phantom - The Lost Island

Kit stared down at herself, confused as to what had happened to her. One moment she had been in her body, being thrown backwards by some unknown force, and the next she was kneeling on the ground, as if nothing had happened. What was going on?

Had she actually died and was now just a spirit, a mere wisp of data, condemned to roam the Digital World forever? Holding up her hand, the teen stared at it, not at all surprised that she could see the faint outline of the burnt ground though her palm. Sighing, she dropped her hand and gazed up at the afternoon sky, letting her mind drift.

She felt no particular need to follow her body back to Dash Village; Sam and Amanda were sure to take care of her. Besides, with ToyAgumon gone, Kit didn't want to face the pity and soft words of her friends over her loss. Although she should feel sad, even angry, the teen felt empty inside.

"Why…? Why do I feel this way?" she murmured softly, rising to her feet and turning to face one of the large holes that now dotted the immediate area. A few Digimon were now venturing out of the village to inspect the damage, but the girl ignored them. She couldn't talk to them, so what was the point of even acknowledging their presence?

"I wonder…" Kit muttered, suddenly struck by a thought. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply and concentrated for a few seconds. Upon opening them, she found that she was now hovering several feet above the ground. Nodding in satisfaction, she rose higher into the sky, watching as Dash Village grew smaller and smaller.

The teen stopped once the houses were a collection of tiny smudges far below, turning slowly until she faced due south. For some reason, she felt the need to go in that direction, although she couldn't explain why.

"Perhaps it's just what data does when it gets deleted…float around the DigiWorld." she mused aloud. Sighing heavily, she started to fly south, figuring that since she had nothing better to do, she might as well see what was down there.

Kit gazed down at the landscape as she flew, noting what some of the features where. A thin blue line that ran away to the south-east was the river that Dash Lake drained into, and that probably led to the sea. Far off to her right was a rolling brown line, possibly a continuation of the cliffs that Jijimon's hut perched on top of. After an hour, the ground below her changed, becoming overrun with dead grass and weeds, with pools of water reflecting the bright sunlight.

"A swamp?" Kit asked, but didn't go down to look closer. It stretched off to the east, and she still felt like going south. As the sun dropped lower in the sky, she saw a dark line appear far ahead of her. Curious, the girl waited until she was closer, then realized it was the ocean. The sky had turned a brilliant shade of red-orange when she left the land behind her and soared over the dark water of the sea.

Another hour or so had passed when a flicker of light below her caught her attention. Peering downwards, Kit watched as a sliver of light arced around in a circle off to the west, briefly illuminating the water as it swept by. "A lighthouse…" she said, puzzled as to why there would be a lighthouse in the Digital World. Did the Digimon sail ships that needed its guidance?

Shrugging, the teen continued her flight south, watching as the two moons rose and shone their light down upon her, then slowly slipped down towards the divide between sea and sky. The sun was rising when Kit saw something appear off in the distance. Sensing that she should go there, the girl dropped down towards it, wondering what could be way out in the middle of the ocean.

As she approached the object, she gasped in surprise. A tiny island was down there, a large tower poking up from the centre of it. Waves lapped off of the rocky shores as she drew closer, then landed gently on the wide path that joined the shore to the tower. A few buildings were crowded around the base of the enormous structure, all of them built from the same dark brown stone that lined the perimeter of the island.

As she followed the sloping path, Kit was struck at the peacefulness of the place. Nothing stirred in the windows of the buildings, and the only sound that could be heard was the faint whistle of the wind. Climbing the many steps that went up to the tower effortlessly, the teen simply floated through the solid stone doors at the top. Since she was a spirit now, she didn't have to bother with doing things like opening doors.

The interior of the tower was empty, save for a set of stone stairs that led to the next floor. After standing there for a minute taking the architecture in, Kit slowly floated upwards through the ceiling, finding herself in another empty room. Sighing, she repeated the process, moving up though a seemingly endless series of bare rooms until she reached the top floor.

"Huh?" Unlike the rest of the tower, this room had a square pedestal set into the stone floor, all four sides covered in lines of symbols. But that wasn't the strangest thing. Jammed into the top of the pedestal was what looked like a playing card. It was scarlet red in colour with a holographic surface, and was completely blank. Walking over, Kit examined the card closely, but could find no trace of what it was for.

Frowning in a mixture of confusion and resentment at having come so far for nothing, the teen stared at the card for several minutes; then tentatively reached towards it. Much to her surprise, her palm didn't pass through the card, but remained pressed against its shiny surface.

"That's weird. I wonder why I can touch it?" Kit wondered, then tugged on it gently. The card wiggled, but didn't come loose from the pedestal. Tugging harder, she finally pulled the card out with a small "pop", then smiled at her accomplishment.

A second later, the entire tower started to shake, and faint rumbling sound came from far below her. Startled, Kit quickly passed through the wall and flew up and away from the island, the red card still clutched in her hand. Turning around, she surveyed the scene below, eyes wide.

A huge shadowy shape had appeared in the water beneath the island. Limbs thrashing wildly, the figure caused the water to crash against the shore of the island, nearly swamping it at times, before the water slowly abated as the shape calmed down. After a minute, the entire land mass started to revolve in the water, turning northwards before slowly beginning to move in that direction.

Mystified at what had just occurred, Kit remained hovering in mid-air for a long time, following the journey of the island until it was a tiny dot on the horizon.

- - -

"_What have you done?!_" Piedmon's mouth slightly twitched with amusement at the words, but fortunately Nicole was too upset to notice. The human reflected in the mirror was glaring at him in fury, but the Mega Digimon couldn't fathom why she was so upset. "I ordered you not to kill the humans! But your precious pet Digimon went ahead and did so anyway. You better have an good explanation for this, Piedmon!"

Closing his eyes for a moment to collect his thoughts, he chose his words next with care. "Mistress, the human girl is not dead, contrary to what her current appearance may seem to suggest."

"Oh? Explain your reasoning to me, then."

"While it's true that humans can bleed while in the Digital World, they will not die if fatally injured. For some reason, the same data that allows Digimon to be reborn after deletion has altered the humans to ensure that they don't loose their life while residing in this world. Perhaps it's due to the power of their Digivices, or maybe this transformation applies to any human who enters the Digital World, regardless of who they are."

Nicole stared at him for several moments, her light brown eyes betraying the smouldering rage she still felt at MetalGreymon's recent actions. "Then if Kit isn't dead, why hasn't she woken up? It has been nearly a day since she collapsed."

"I'm not certain why she hasn't regained consciousness yet, Mistress." Piedmon replied, giving a careless shrug. He didn't know why, and he really didn't care. He had gotten Clockmon's data, and sown confusion among the remaining DigiDestined by saying their team mate was dead.

"Very well. Barring that…mishap…your mission was a success. Will MetalGreymon be able to be used for future attacks?"

"Yes, Mistress. But why do we not attack the DigiDestined now? The earlier attack showed that they can't match MetalGreymon's power, and they are weakened even further by having one less Digimon. Now is the perfect opportunity to destroy them."

"Because they still are useful to me, Piedmon." the human replied coldly, scowling at his statements. Giving a resigned nod, the Mega waited for further instructions.

"Now, I have new orders for you. Up to now, you have only concentrated on the south-western section of the Digital World. Until further notice, you will attack the north-west part of the world, doing as much damage as possible without using MetalGreymon. Also, recruit any Digimon that wish to join our cause. The larger our forces are, the better. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mistress." Piedmon replied, giving a short bow before the mirror went blank. Turning away, he stared at the wall, still not fully understand why Nicole let those irritating DigiDestined live. But he knew that everything would become clear eventually. It was just a matter of time…


	14. Phantom: Crescent Moon

Chapter 14: Phantom - Crescent Moon

"Now what?" Kit asked, examining the red card she held. It didn't appear to be dangerous, and it would be a waste to toss it away, so she decided to keep the item. The sun was now high in the sky, shining brightly down upon the ocean. A faint breeze caused small waves to form, but the wind didn't ruffle Kit's hair or clothing at all. Sighing, she thought back on all the sunny days she had ToyAgumon spend together in the Digital World, realizing that those happy days would never come again.

The faint urge that had led her to the abandoned island was still there, tugging at the back of her mind, but the girl ignored it and closed her eyes. Her thoughts were focused on the memories of her partner, and she escaped into them; reliving everything that they had experienced since that first night in the Digital World when all seemed lost. Kit recalled the first time ToyAgumon had Digivolved to Clockmon in order to defeat Musyamon and restore peace to a small part of the DigiWorld.

Then had come the revelation that her friends would also help to save the Digital World, followed by the long trek across the Endless Plains to see Baronmon. Had the mystic Digimon foreseen what would occur to ToyAgumon? Kit frowned at the thought, troubled by the fact that his deletion may not have been avoidable. Shaking the idea off, she continued to reminisce. Baronmon had helped to illuminate the reason why the three friends had been brought to the Digital World, and had revealed a little of the history surrounding the growing threat they now faced.

Kit realized it had only been a week since she had said goodbye to Baronmon and gone off to look for Sam. While they had found him easily enough, she was concerned over how he would deal with any side-effects of Piedmon's interrogation techniques. The break at Dash Village had been nice, a rare period of relaxation for everyone. But then had come MetalGreymon. The girl shook her head, unwilling to revisit that terrible battle. It was still too fresh in her mind, the details too clear for her to go back over them.

Opening her eyes, she realized that the day had passed quickly, and that the sun had already set. To the east, the larger orange moon was now above the horizon, and the smaller blue moon was just rising, its thin crescent shape providing little light in comparison to the full shape of its larger companion. Kit stared at the fingernail curve of the second moon, suddenly feeling a strong pull towards it.

Without giving it much thought, she began to fly towards the moon, picking up speed the higher she rose. She passed though the atmosphere effortlessly, her ghost-like body allowing her to easily fly upwards without the constraints of lack of air or friction to slow her down. Narrowing her eyes in an effort to go even faster, Kit entered into the vast emptiness of outer space, still aiming at the blue moon. She didn't care how long it might take her to reach it; she was going to see what was pulling her there.

- - -

"What are we supposed to do now?" Sam asked quietly, turning his attention from the window to the shadowy interior of the room. Amanda was stretched out on a pile of blankets, idly tracing the flower design on the pillow in front of her. "I don't know…we don't know when Kit will wake up." she replied with a small shrug.

Sam sighed softly, his blue eyes unwillingly going to the still form of their friend, which had been laid on the bed in the corner of the room. Blankets were piled on top of her, but the male didn't know if they were even doing any good. Upon returning to Dash Village after the disastrous battle with MetalGreymon, Otamamon had quickly located a Veggiemon who was skilled at healing injuries. Veggiemon had examined the teen, eventually pronouncing that while she wasn't dead, he had no idea what had happened to make her look so lifeless.

The DigiDestined frowned, absently rubbing the bandage on his right cheek that covered the three knife wounds that Piedmon had put there. His bruises had healed since that night, but the cuts remained as a reminder to how far they still had to go to rid the Digital World of evil. Sam was still puzzled as to why Piedmon had gathered Clockmon's data after MetalGreymon had deleted him. Was he planning something?

Drawing his knees up to his chest, the teen rested his chin on them and returned his former activity of looking out the window. Both moons had risen, and he gazed sadly at the thin crescent of the blue moon, mourning over the sudden loss of ToyAgumon, but also for the departure of his close friend. "Come back to us, Kit. We need you…" he whispered, tears blurring his vision.

- - -

As Kit drew closer to the moon, the sense that something important was there grew ever stronger. She had lost track of time long ago, both because she had nothing to judge its passage by, but also since time was meaningless for a ghost. Empty space stretched all around her, silent and dark. The Sun was behind the Digital World, but it would appear soon enough to illuminate her path. Until then, she would fly in darkness.

Eventually, the Sun did swing around and bring light to her, but Kit ignored the burning star and kept moving forward. Finally, she eased to a halt and stared down, examining the craters and plains of the moon below her for any trace of what had brought her here. Even as she looked, the girl knew there was nothing there. The strange feeling was still pulling at her, urging her to keep going. Sighing silently, the teen flew around the moon and crossed over into the eternal night of the dark side.

Drifting down, she alighted gently on the uneven surface of the moon, walking slowly over to a large boulder that was a shade lighter than the surrounding dark rock. As she moved closer, Kit saw that something was reflecting the faint starlight. Intrigued, she went to stand in front of the boulder and frowned in puzzlement.

Poking out of the top was a diamond-shaped crystal, it's clear depths returning the dim light that shone upon it. "I wonder…" Glancing down at the red card in her hand, the teen reached out and ran a finger along the edge of the precious stone, feeling a sense of comfort run through her as she easily touched the object.

Taking a deep breath, Kit wrapped her hand around the top of the crystal and pulled upwards, hearing a faint click as it slid easily out of the boulder. Seconds later, the ground started to shake beneath her feet, cracks quickly radiating outwards from the bottom of the large rock. Hurriedly backing off in surprise, the girl watched as the boulder cracked and split evenly in two, revealing a large shaft. Her eyes widened as a giant golden sarcophagus floated slowly out of the shaft, turning so it was parallel to the ground. The sarcophagus then floated higher into the dark sky and moved off in the direction of the Digital World, quickly slipping out of sight.

"I wonder what that was?" Kit asked, again confused by the strange events she had witnessed since becoming a data spirit. Shrugging, she turned her gaze to the crystal she now held, examining it from all sides. "Weird…" she muttered, noting that a small slot was cut into the right side of the crystal, running from top to bottom and being about two centimetres deep.

"What's it for?" she asked, staring at the slot as she tried to think of an explanation. Transferring the crystal to her left hand and holding onto the red card with her right, the teen held them up and looked at both objects for a few minutes in silence. "Oh…" she finally said, having being struck by an idea. Narrowing her eyes in focus, Kit slid the card slowly down the slot, making sure that the entire left edge of the card passed though the small crevice.

She waited a few seconds to see if anything would happen, and was pleased to see both the crystal and card start to glow faintly. The white light shining from the two objects rapidly intensified, and Kit was forced to hold them as far away as she could to avoid being blinded. Squinting, the girl watched in awe as the crystal suddenly transformed into a plain light grey Digivice, the slot still present along the right side. A moment later, the red card morphed into the design for a Digimon battle card, with a black border and boxes for a image and text, but remained completely blank.

"Wow…that's so cool…" Kit breathed, staring in shock at the items she held. She vividly recalled the sight of her Digivice disintegrating in her hand, but shoved the memory aside before it could advance further. She didn't want to remember what came next.

Without warning, a bright white light engulfed her from above, momentarily blinding the girl. Raising an arm, she shielded her face and gazed into the sky, wondering what was going to happen next. As the form at the centre of the light became clearer, she gasped in shock, vaguely recognizing it. "No…it can't be…!"


	15. Phantom: Redemption

Chapter 15: Phantom - Redemption

Kit stared at the massive shape hovering above her, the pure white light radiating from it obscuring its features. She now clearly recognized the outline of the Digimon that had intervened in the battle between Andromon and Piedmon during her first few minutes in the Digital World, but hadn't expected to ever see it again. What was it doing here?

Part of the Digimon moved, and the teen got the impression that it was looking at her intently. "Who…who are you?" she asked hesitantly, still awed by the size of the creature and the blinding light it was emitting.

"I am Valdurmon."

Kit's jaw fell open in surprise at the calm statement. The Digimon who had defeated the Seven Great Demon Lords four thousand years ago was actually here, talking to her? "B-but…the Prophecy…" she stammered, not entirely sure how to respond.

"What of it?" Valdurmon sounded amused at her awkward question, but Kit was too flustered to get angry. "Er…Well, why did you leave the Prophecy of Ages behind if you were going to be around to witness the growth of evil in the Digital World?"

The legendary Digimon was silent for a long moment, then replied, "All I will say is that I knew I would not be able to defeat the re-birth of evil when it came."

"But why did you stop Andromon and Piedmon from fighting back when I first arrived here?" the girl persisted, determined to get a satisfactory answer.

"Because it was too soon for you to come face-to-face with the avatar of darkness that is Piedmon. As it is, Piedmon has already gotten his hands on one of your friends, something I had hoped would not have happened so quickly." Valdurmon said, sounding rather tense about the subject.

"But-"

"Enough, Kit. The answers will be revealed in due time." The girl frowned, annoyed the he was avoiding her questions. After all she had been though, she thought she deserved some answers.

"Now, I have a gift for you. Hold out your Digivice." Puzzled, Kit obeyed, and a moment later a snow-white feather floated down out of the light and was sucked into the screen of her Digivice. The screen shone with golden light, then colour spread across the spherical machine. The body of the Digivice turned white, while the buttons and hand grips were pale yellow. The star that branched out from the square screen was now a bright gold colour, while previously it had matched the shade of the buttons and hand grips.

"Valdurmon…thank you." Kit breathed, touched by the gesture from the mighty Digimon. "But what about this Digimon card?" she asked, holding up the blank card.

"Its purpose will be revealed eventually." Valdurmon replied. "Of course, if you actually want to find out what it is for, you'll have to return to your body."

The girl stiffed at the sudden reminder, dropping her eyes to the lunar surface. Although she was curious to see what the card was for, she dreaded the reaction of her friends once she returned to them.

"I…I don't want to…" she mumbled, unwilling to face up to her painful memories.

"You have to, Kit. I understand that you went through a lot, and I know how you feel. During the war, many of my dear friends were lost, and while I mourned their passing, I also was able to move on. You need to do that as well, because the fate of the Digital World rests in your hands."

"Sam and Amanda are DigiDestined too. Why can't they save the world?"

"Because they look to you to guide them and ensure that they don't go astray. You are the leader of the DigiDestined, Kit. You must return to them."

Kit sighed, mulling over what had been said, then murmured, "I never thought of myself as the leader before…"

"Your friends think you are, as do I. I know that you can save the Digital World, Kit." The teen squinted and looked up at Valdurmon. "Really?"

"Yes."

"Well…" she trailed off, thinking hard. Although it would be difficult to move on, if Valdurmon trusted her to save the Digital World, there was no way she was going to let him down. Smiling faintly, she nodded. "Alright then, I'll go back."

"Good. Then farewell, Kit." Valdurmon replied, and a blinding flash of light forced the girl to cover her eyes. When the light faded, he was gone.

- - -

Baronmon paced the length of the room, gloved hands clasped behind his back. He was currently reflecting on the recent events that had taken place in Dash Village, namely the deletion of Clockmon and Piedmon's subsequent acquisition of his data. Digimon could be revived from data fragments, but the process was a difficult one and the end result wasn't always a perfect copy of the original.

Turning around, he continued to pace, wondering what the evil Mega was plotting. Unfortunately, his deeds were shrouded in shadow, preventing Baronmon from forecasting any future actions Piedmon might take. The mystic Digimon was also worried about some of his more recent visions. The future now seemed to be constantly in flux, with changes and conflicting events appearing every day.

"Is the missing human responsible for this?" he muttered darkly. The kidnapped friend of the Chosen Ones had yet to appear in his sight, indicating that she was in league with the forces of darkness. If that was indeed true, then the three children he had so recently sheltered would have a tough time facing their former friend when they met. For Baronmon had no doubts that they would indeed meet, but was at a loss to say when.

The current Chosen Ones futures were also growing murkier. Kit's in particular had undergone some drastic changes in recent days, and the masked Digimon was now not sure exactly when she would find her true partner. Sam's future was also shadowed, but he suspected it was due to an outside influence corrupting his vision rather than the boy's own intentions. Of the three, Amanda's future remained the brightest and most stable, indicating to him that no major events would influence her choices.

Finally, the remaining two Chosen Ones were increasingly difficult to pick out from the futures of the original three, and their faces had changed slightly since Baronmon had first witnessed them in his visions. He was at a loss to explain what was happening to them, so decided to just wait and see instead of making inaccurate predictions.

Red cloak flapping as he turned abruptly, the masked Digimon strode out of the room and went to stand on the front steps of his shrine. Tilting his head upwards, he gazed up at the two moons in the sky, feeling at peace with his place in the world. Important events would soon take place, and the Digital World would forever be changed by them. He might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasted.

- - -

**Author's Notes**: And so concludes the 'Phantom' mini-arc for Kit. What did you guys think of it? This was an important chapter for several reasons: Valdurmon finally makes an appearance, and Kit receives a new - albeit modified - Digivice. There was also quite a bit of foreshadowing mentioned, although you'll have to wait and see what the hints turn out to be.

This is also the end of the first story arc 'Genesis', and the next chapter will mark the start of the second arc: 'Retrievals and Resurrections'.


	16. Reunion

Chapter 16: Reunion

Sam paced restlessly, his blue eyes darting every now and then towards the cabin where his friend still lay. It had been a week since Kit collapsed, and she showed no signs of waking up any time soon.

"Shouldn't we be doing something? Piedmon is out attacking innocent Digimon, and we're just sitting here, doing nothing." The teen froze in mid-step at Flamon's words, a mixture of anger and guilt churning inside him.

"We know…I feel terrible that we aren't doing anything, but with Kit in this state, it doesn't seem right just to leave her alone." he answered quietly, turning to face the red-haired Digimon. Green eyes narrowed, his partner stared back at him for a few moments, then spoke. "I'm just as worried about her as you are, but I still think we should fight back."

"SAM! Get in here!" Amanda's sudden shout prevented the DigiDestined from responding, and after sharing a surprised look with Flamon, Sam dashed back to the small hut and ducked inside. "What's wrong?" he asked breathlessly, wondering what was going on.

"Look!" the other girl replied, pointing towards the bed where Kit lay. But instead of a still form, Sam saw that Kit was awake and sitting up, looking quite pleased to see him.

"Wha…but….but how?" he stammered in shock, hearing Flamon gasp softly behind him.

"I don't know. She woke up about a minute ago." Amanda replied, voice wavering oddly. The male suddenly found that a lump had appeared in the back of his throat, preventing him from speaking. "You're…alive…" he finally managed to mumble, then rushed forwards and engulfed his friend in a tight hug.

"Sam? You ok?" Kit whispered, sounding slightly concerned as she slid her arms around his shoulders.

"Y-yeah…just f-fine." he replied, letting his tears flow. He was overcome with joy at Kit's unexpected return to him, and the tears streaming down his face was his way of letting out the pent-up frustration and worry that he had been feeling over the previous seven days. Amanda soon joined them, and Sam moved over to allow her to sit on the bed as well. Like him, she was crying freely, and he slipped an arm around her shoulders in comfort. The teen smiled as the gesture was returned, happy that their team was whole again.

They remained in the group hug for a long time, the two Digimon eventually joining their partners. Finally, after all the tears had been shed, they all moved to a different spot on the bed to talk.

"So, how long have I been gone?" Kit asked, smiling at each of them in turn.

"A week." Amanda replied, still looking teary-eyed at her best friend's return.

"That long…? It didn't feel like it." she muttered, sorrow clouding her face. "I'm really sorry about what happened, guys." Kit said after a long moment.

"It wasn't your fault, Kit." Amanda answered, exchanging a worried glance with Sam. He nodded reluctantly at the signal, know that his friend was not going to like what was coming next.

"Um…about ToyAgumon…" he said slowly, dreading what he was about to say.

"He's gone. I know." The soft answer made him pause in surprise, and he stared at the other teen, wondering how she could have found out. "I saw what happened after the battle. Piedmon appeared and took what I assume was Clockmon's data." she explained upon seeing their confused looks.

"How?" Flamon asked, looking keenly interested in Kit's answer. Sam recalled that Digimon reverted back to DigiEggs when they got deleted, but he couldn't see why that was important.

"I became a sort of digital ghost. I could see and speak, but no one else could see or hear me." the DigiDestined replied, and was about to continue when two golden orbs materialized in the air above her head. Smiling, she held out her hands, and the orbs descended and transformed into a pale yellow-and-white Digivice and a blank Digimon Battle Card.

"That's…a new Digivice!" Amanda gasped, and the others made murmurs of agreement as they stared at the two items. Placing both the Digivice and card into the pockets of her black vest, Kit smiled. "I guess I better explain how I got these, then. Settle in, 'cause it's a long story."

- - -

"That's amazing!" Otamamon exclaimed, black eyes shining with delight at the story Kit had just told. "You got to meet the legendary Valdurmon!" Amanda chuckled lightly at her partner's expression, but shared her sense of wonder at her friend's tale. It was incredible what Kit had gone through during the past week while Sam and her just thought she was in a deep coma, and she could tell that the other teen had grown from the experience.

"Do you feel any different now as compared to before your spirit was separated from your body?" Flamon asked, emerald eyes fixed on Kit's face.

"No, not really. I'm sure I'll be fine." the DigiDestined replied, giving the Rookie a bright smile. Amanda noted that while he nodded in acceptance, Flamon still looked troubled.

"While you've been gone, some important things have happened." Sam said, and Amanda sighed as she remembered the grim news.

"What's been going on?"

"It seems that Piedmon has started to attack the northern portions of the Digital World now. Last we heard, his minions were in the north-west region, and advancing further north every day." he answered.

"That _is_ bad news." Kit agreed, looking glum at the sudden reminder of their duties as DigiDestined. "It gets worse. Apparently, one Piedmon's new attack squads are going under the name of the 'Hazard Corps', and are quite powerful." he continued with a frown.

"What about MetalGreymon?"

"He hasn't been seen since the attack on us." Amanda replied, shivering at the memory of the viral dinosaur.

"Well, that's good. At least we don't have to deal with him right now." the other girl said, looking mildly relieved at that information. "Nope. Piedmon has also left the area, or so rumour has it. Either way, part of this region is safe for now." the male DigiDestined added.

"Really? Then he's up to something." Kit said darkly. "By the way, how do you know all this?"

"We came to that conclusion too. Our information has been coming from Digimon who have fled south. Jijimon sends us periodic updates using a messenger Hawkmon." Sam replied.

"I see…" the girl muttered, glancing away to look out the window. Amanda remained silent, letting her absorb everything. Since MetalGreymon's attack, it seems like nothing but bad news had happened, and she desperately wished they could do something to stop the spreading evil.

"So Digimon are retreating south…where are they going?" Kit asked, turning back to look at the group.

"They are heading to Disc Plateau, the higher ground where Lotus Lake is at. Apparently, there's a strong Digimon who is taking refugee Digimon into the city he runs." Otamamon explained. "It's called Jong City, and it's the largest settlement in the south-west region of the DigiWorld."

"Should we go there, then?" Sam suggested, looking intrigued by the information.

"No, we'll remain here for now. I don't want to retreat further south if we don't have to." Kit announced, her tone indicating that she wasn't going to change her mind.

"You took what Valdurmon said to heart, then? About you being the leader of us and all." Amanda said, giving her friend a smile to show that she was fine with the decision.

"Yeah, I did." the teen paused to think, then continued. "Up to now, we've had it pretty easy. Sure, we've faced some problems, but we've still managed to overcome them by ourselves when the need arose. That has to change. I don't know who selected us to be the Chosen Ones, but we are the DigiDestined, and we have to work together if we are going to save this world. Do you guys agree?"

"I do. Even though we're short two members, we're still a team, and we have to start acting like one." Sam said quietly. Beside him, Flamon nodded in agreement.

Amanda considered his statement for a second, then spoke. "I also agree. We're stronger together than apart, no matter how powerful our Digimon are. If we are going to defeat Piedmon, we need to act like one unit."

"And I'll be right there with you!" Otamamon piped up, giving her partner a determined smile.

"Good. We'll wait until Jijimon's next message arrives, then make a decision on what to do next." Kit said, then smiled. "Right now, let's go eat! I'm starving!" Laughter followed her words as the group rose and went off to find lunch, talking happily with each other.

- - -

"So…Kit finally woke up. It's about time." Nicole sneered softly, watching the happy reunion between the DigiDestined. With a flick of her hand, the icy surface of the mirror went blank, and the teen settled down on her bed, reclining against the stone wall that it was up against. She had been mildly angry at Piedmon for causing Kit to go into a coma, but since she seemed to be fine, her angry slowly melted away.

He thoughts then turned to her current plans for the Digital World. As ordered, Piedmon was sending Digimon out to harass the northern sections of the world. The future Digimon Empress watched all of the destruction with glee, savouring the feeling of power she got as her orders were carried out perfectly. "Soon…it will all be mine!" she hissed, pale brown eyes lighting up at the thought. She just had to be patient a little while longer, then she could claim her rightful place as ruler the Digital World.

Nicole then wondered what her partner was up to. She had rarely seen him during the previous week, making her suspect that he was planning something without informing her. Picking up her Digivice from a nearby table, she ran a finger around the crimson star, deciding that she would let the issue slide for now. After all, only IceDevimon knew how to leave the Dark Area, and if he was planning an escape, she wouldn't interrupt him.

"But he'll have to tell me eventually. If he doesn't…I'll make him." the teen murmured with a twisted smile, already plotting the ways to extract information from the cold-hearted Digimon.


	17. A Covert Undertaking

Chapter 17: A Covert Undertaking

"Does your partner know about this?" Piedmon asked calmly, carefully eyeing the figure reflected in the mirror. "No." IceDevimon replied, his voice tinged with contempt at the question.

"Very well…but I was under the impression that Nicole was the only one I was supposed to take orders from. Or have I been mistaken, Master?"

"It seems my partner is the one who is mistaken, Piedmon. I never released you from my service, so yes, you do still take orders from me." the Champion Digimon replied, his tone now positively frosty. Bowing slightly, Piedmon let the issue drop and straightened up. "Then what I can do for you, Master?"

"I want you to collect five more DigiEggs. And they won't be random ones either; I have five particular DigiEggs I want you to hunt down and send to me." Piedmon bit back a frown, annoyed that he was yet again being sent on such a trivial assignment. Wasn't one DigiEgg enough?

Hiding his irritation, the Mega toyed idly with one of the blue ribbons that flowed from the back of his jacket, enjoying the sensation of smooth silk sliding between his fingers. "May I ask why you want them?" he asked quietly after a moment.

"You may, but I will not tell you the answer." came the sneered response. Nodding, Piedmon let the ribbon fall from his hand and asked another question. "Then what are the five DigiEggs you want me to locate, Master?"

The clown Digimon then listened closely to each description that was given, mentally noting which Digimon reverted to that type of egg upon being deleted. When IceDevimon finished, Piedmon bowed low and murmured, "I will most certainly be able to obtain those DigiEggs, Master."

"I'm confident that you shall. But, that is only half of what I want from you." Curious and surprised, Piedmon clasped his gloved hands behind his back and waited, watching the reflection in the mirror intently. Seeing his expression, the other Digimon chuckled softly. "Good, I have your full attention. Do you know what DigiCores are?"

"Of course!" Piedmon snorted at the relatively simple question, then explained, "They are the most basic part of a Digimon. DigiCores contain all of the data that determines how a Digimon will behave, what it likes and dislikes, even what it will look like and Digivolve into."

"Yes, those are the better-known characteristics of DigiCores." IceDevimon agreed, shifting his ragged wings slightly. "But what else do you know about them?"

"I know that when a Digimon is deleted, it is the DigiCore that swirls away into the sky, searching for a suitable spot where it can re-collect and form into a new DigiEgg. A DigiCore is impossible to delete fully; some data will remain even after it is infected and deleted by a virus. Some say that Virus Digimon were created from the remains of infected DigiCores that slowly mutated over time."

"Very good. Are there any mentions of DigiCores in the tales relating to the War of Darkness?" At this Piedmon paused, uncertain about the answer. He was silent for several minutes, all the while reviewing all the stories he had heard and read about the ancient conflict. Finally, he was forced to shake his head and admit the obvious: "I can recall nothing being said about them."

"But Valdurmon scattered six data packets around the Digimon World, did he not?"

"Yes…but data packets are-" Piedmon stopped in mid-sentence, realization dawning in his mind. "Data packets are what less-informed Digimon call DigiCores! I remember learning about them when I was just an In-Training!" Glancing at IceDevimon, he continued. "So Valdurmon hid the DigiCores of the remaining six Seven Great Demon Lords after the battle? Impressive, considering that none of them have been discovered in four thousand years."

"Yes, well, that was the general idea of _hiding_ them in places where no Digimon would even venture." IceDevimon said disdainfully, causing the Mega to frown in mild anger. "All that aside, I think I have discovered the location of several of the DigiCores. Unfortunately, I am unable to confirm that they are where I believe them to be, which is where you come in.

"Piedmon, I order you to follow my directions and investigate the areas where the DigiCores might be. I want this to be done in complete secrecy; not even your most loyal minions must know about this. While you do this, I'm sure you will gather the required DigiEggs. Am I right?"

Eyes wide, Piedmon nodded slowly, still processing everything that had been said. After a moment, he smiled and bowed, feeling exhilarated at the opportunity to discover the remains of some of the most powerful Digimon in history. "I…I would be honoured to do this for you, Master." he said, bowing again in gratitude.

"Excellent. Oh…if you fulfill both requirements for completing this task, I will reward you with more power than you have ever imagined having." Surprised that IceDevimon would offer such a thing before any action had been taken, the Mega Digimon simply listened as his master listed where he thought the DigiCores were, nodding occasionally as he realized that the locations were perfect hiding spots. This would certainly be an interesting mission, with great rewards at the end.

Smiling grimly, Piedmon turned and floated out of the room, eager to get his new mission underway. That unimaginable power would indeed be his, even if he had to delete the Four Holy Beasts to get it.

- - -

Several hours later, Piedmon stood at the outer limits of Root Jungle, scanning the northern horizon. The sun was obscured by a light layer of clouds, and the forest behind him was silent. Closing his eyes, he reached deep within himself and accessed his DigiCore, feeling a surge of power throughout his body as contact was made. The Mega had learned long ago that his DigiCore was the root of all his power, and this power could be tapped into and used in various ways. Taking a deep breath, he formed an image in his mind and muttered two words. "Clown Trick."

Immediately, Piedmon felt his body start to change, keeping his focus on the picture in his head. He could heard his bones grinding together as they grew, lengthened, or vanished altogether. His skin itched as thick fur sprouted and grew, quickly covering his body. A second later, he dropped to all fours, his body still changing dramatically. Finally, the transformation stopped, and Piedmon opened his eyes and twisted his head around to examine his new form.

His body now resembled that of a large wolf, with a coal-black pelt covered with jagged light grey stripes. On his shoulders, tuffs of fur stuck up to form 'wings' of a sort, their ends pointed and razor-sharp. Four well-muscled legs now supported him, each tipped with four dark purple and deadly claws. Piedmon knew from past transformations that a fur ruff protected the back of his head and neck, with amber eyes now gazing out at the world. In total, he now resembled a Virus Garurumon.

Sniffing the air, he smelled nothing of interest and set off at a steady lope towards the north-west, determined to cover as much ground as he could before nightfall. He had chosen this form because of the speed it provided; plus he was much less conspicuous traveling as a Garurumon than as Piedmon. Even though he now looked like a Champion Digimon, he still has the strength of his Mega level, something that would be very useful for this mission.

A day earlier, he had sent his minions out to spread false rumours of his journey to the North-West region of the Digital World. While he was indeed heading to the area, he had suspected that he might have to enter into places where his troops had not yet reached, if only to have a look around at what he would have to deal with once his army advanced further north. Now, with the revelation that IceDevimon was entrusting him with a special assignment, Piedmon was pleased that he had had the foresight to spread false information. It now provided him with a cover as to why he was leaving Root Jungle, and those annoying DigiDestined would probably not risk attacking him if he was with his army.

- - -

"This is my turf! Leave!" Piedmon snorted with amusement, eyeing the Digimon that stood before him. Off to his right, the sun was setting in a bank of clouds, painting the sky pale pink and orange as it left. But the beauty of the scene was being ignored, his attention focused solely on the short figure that was blocking his way.

"You have some nerve crossing me, Rookie." he growled, baring his fangs at the Goblimon. The Virus Digimon responded by taking a step forward and raising her club menacingly before answering. "As I said before, I control this area. And _you're_ not allowed to cross it!"

"Oh really?" Piedmon chuckled, flicking his tail as he took a deep breath. "Howling Blaster!" A ball of blue fire exploded from between his jaws, aimed directly at the Goblimon. The Rookie didn't even have a chance to defend herself as the fireball engulfed her, the hot flames quickly deleting her data.

Closing his eyes, Piedmon concentrated and murmured, "Clown Trick." A golden ring materialized above the spot where the Digimon had formerly stood, glowing as the deleted data spiralled up into it and suddenly stopped, trapped by an invisible force from passing out the other side. The Mega watched as the golden ring descended towards the ground, then flashed once before vanishing. The captured data coalesced into a ball the size of a baseball before glowing white and transforming into a grey DigiEgg with small green dots.

"Perfect." Piedmon said, padding over to it and nudging it with the tip of his nose. The DigiEgg shook for a moment, then faded away, having been teleported back to the base in Root Jungle. The Mega had set up the system before he left; anything he touched could be instantly sent back to his lair with a mere thought, preventing him from having to carry a bunch of items around the Digital World.

After scanning the horizon for a moment, Piedmon set off at a steady pace, heading in the same north-westerly course he had been following since noon. The Garurumon's body was built for long-distance travel, so he didn't feel winded or fatigued at all. As evening slipped into night and the twin moons rose in the east, Piedmon allowed his mind to drift.

The encounter with the Goblimon had brought back memories of his time as a Rookie, so he decided to indulge in a bit of reflection as he traveled. After all, he didn't have anything else to fill the long night ahead of him.

* * *

His single eye opened slowly, blinking rapidly as his sight adjusted to the dim light of the cave. Around him were hundreds of pale purple eggs, with small creatures sitting in the spaces between some of them. Curious, he watched as one of the eggs shook, then cracked open and dissolved, revealing another small creature where the egg had sat.

Blurry images flashed through his head, but nothing was clear enough to make out. Still, he suddenly found his mind filled with new information. Those were DigiEggs around him…and he was a Digimon. A Kuramon, the same as all the other Kuramon who had already hatch and would soon hatch from the eggs. Blinking slowly, Kuramon found that he was suddenly tired. Closing his eye, he figured that he would explore when he awoke, or perhaps the time after that. Until then, all he wanted was sleep.

- - -

Tsumemon hopped along the ground, eager to get to today's lesson. Around him, other In-Training Digimon chatted excitedly about the visiting Gatomon, but he ignored their talk. They weren't really interested in what was going to be taught - no, they just wanted class to be over so they could go play. He was different from them; different even from the Tsumemon who were his brothers and sisters. He wanted to know everything there was to know about the Digital World, even if the other Digimon made fun of him for it. Information was important, and the more information one had, the more power they could get.

It was Tsumemon's dream to become the most powerful Digimon he could be, and he figured that he might as well get an early start by attending the classes Angemon hosted for In-Training Digimon. Ever since he had hatched, he had felt the need to stand out. This may have been due to the fact that he had been one of hundreds of other Kuramon, all of them clamouring for attention and competing with one another for the food that was provided.

As soon as he had Digivolved to In-Training, he had left. Several of his siblings had followed him, but the rest had stayed behind in the cave where they had been born. What happened to them, he did not know. Tsumemon had led the small group on a long journey, out of the wasteland where their birth cave was and over a huge expanse of grassland. Eventually, they had stumbled across Angemon's refuge, and had accepted the offer to stay. Since then, he had attended every class that was being held, soaking up all the information he could.

Eventually, he would Digivolve to Rookie, and then the real work of achieving his dream would begin. It was only a matter of time…

- - -

"You know that I don't allow fighting in my classroom." Angemon said sternly, his helmet concealing the eyes that Dracmon knew were widened in shock.

"Then Floramon shouldn't have opened her big mouth!" the Rookie shot back, still furious that he was being punished for a such a minor thing. Really, he hadn't even hurt his plant-like classmate, just given her a little scare. She had been telling her friends about how odd Dracmon looked, mimicking his gestures and speaking in a squeaky voice. Of course, the Virus-type Rookie hadn't liked being teased one bit, but had ignored the low laughter coming from Floramon's audience as best her could.

Then Floramon had done something he just couldn't let slide. Dracmon had once told her that he would become the most powerful Digimon in the world; hoping to impress the popular Rookie. At the time, Floramon had simply smiled and nodded, so he hadn't brought it up again. He thought she had forgotten about it. So he had been stunned to hear his own words come out of her mouth, spoken in that hateful, mocking way that only girls could do.

In response, Dracmon had charged at the group of Rookies, knocking Floramon down and pinning her arms to the ground. Enraged, he had been about to imply that nasty things would happen if he even caught her saying that again, but Angemon had intervened at this point.

Now he was standing in front of the angelic Digimon, being embarrassed in front of everyone just because one Digimon couldn't keep things to herself. Glowering at the ground, he waited for a response.

"That may be true, but I still can't let you off for attacking a fellow classmate, even if no harm was done. I must ask you to leave this class, and to not return until you've thought up an apology for Floramon." Angemon decided, waving his staff in the direction of the door. "But…but…" Dracmon stuttered, crushed by the punishment. This class was his life, and he never missed a lesson. To be asked to leave, because of what another Digimon did? It wasn't right. It wasn't fair. At that moment, Dracmon decided he had had enough. He didn't need Angemon to teach him anything else; he would go learn it on his own. And one day, when he was stronger, he would return and show the angel just how wrong he was.

Marching to the door, he turned and pointed a finger at his former teacher. "I won't forget this, Angemon! I'll be back, and then you'll know the meaning of the word fair!" With this vow, he turned and strode out of the room, not hearing the giggles that Floramon or her friends burst into at his parting words. He would show them! He would show everyone that they were wrong and he was right!

- - -

"Grrrr…" he let out a deep, rumbling growl, head lowered and fangs bared. Directly in front of him, a Virus Garurumon was doing much the same, fur ruff bristling in anticipation of battle. The pair were standing on the outskirts of a patch of dead trees, the Garurumon having appeared several minutes earlier and demanded that Sangloupmon leave.

As Dracmon, he had wandered all over the place, picking fights were he could and gaining strength from the defeat of those weaker than him. Since becoming a Champion, he had worked even harder to gain power, and his new, wolf-like form was an immense help. His light purple fur covered most of his well-muscled body, except for a large grey ruff that covered his neck and chest. Large crimson patches were evident on his ribs, thighs and tail, a clear warning to other Digimon that he was dangerous. Finely crafted armour plates covered both shoulders and wrapped around the sides of his head, extending into sharp points. Although the plates acted like a pair of blinders that prevented him from seeing to either side and obscured his red eyes, Sangloupmon found that he didn't need clear vision to be lethal. But that wasn't the most striking part of him.

All four of Sangloupmon's lower legs and feet were covered in blades. His front paws were tipped with sharp knives rather than claws, and large double-edges axes were attached to each side of the foot for added brutality. Finally, a large, slightly curved blade extended from between the second and third claws on each front paw, intended to inflict even more damage onto whoever made to foolish decision to attack him. Sangloupmon's back feet also had knives replacing the usual claws, but circular saw blades extended from the ankle up to the joint that connected the two major leg bones. In total, he was not something most Digimon would choose to mess with. But that's exactly what Garurumon was doing.

For several months, Sangloupmon had considered this tiny portion of the Digital World to be _his_ territory, and he wasn't about to let another Digimon come in and claim it without a fight. Shifting into a crouch, Sangloupmon glared at the intruder, daring him to attack first.

"Howling Blaster!" The Garurumon sent a mass of blue flames at him, which the Champion avoided by leaping to the side. "Black Mind!" He quickly countered by releasing a shadowy orb from between his own jaws, which hit the other Digimon on the shoulder, making him stumble. Regaining his footing, the black wolf lunged forward, his sharp fangs suddenly resembling icicles.

"Subzero Ice Fang!" Turning into the attack, Sangloupmon partially blocked the icy teeth with his shoulder armour, but still felt some of the freezing fangs sink into his upper leg. Pivoting on one paw, he shook the Garurumon off, then attacked himself. "Sticker Blade!" Leaping onto the wolf's back, he started to hack and slash at the muscle and bone that was beneath the thick fur. Although the numerous blades on his front legs inflicted the most damage, the rotating saws on his hind legs helped to insure that the other Champion wasn't going to be escaping without help.

"Aaaawwwwoolll!" Garurumon howled in pain once Sangloupmon finally rolled off of him, his body nearly ripped apart by the vicious attack. Regarding the flayed skin and fur that once had been the wolf's back, the victor bared his teeth in pleasure. "Not so confident now, are we?" he sneered, walking over to gaze gloatingly down at his beaten opponent.

"Gah…just de-delete me." Garurumon gasped, barely able to talk. Panting heavily, he scrabbled desperately at the dirt with his front paws, but was unable to lift himself to his feet.

"Oh, I will. But I want something from you first." Sangloupmon told him, tail twitching as he bent his head to nose at a large hole in the Garurumon's chest. The other Digimon just looked at him, amber eyes clouded with pain. Letting out a short bark of laughter, Sangloupmon thrust his muzzle into the wound, ignoring the resulting howl of pain from the injured Digimon.

After a minute of searching, he found what he was looking for and set about enlarging the hole and exposing the glittering orb that resided deep within the Garurumon's body. Once he could easily open his mouth, Sangloupmon thrust his jaws into the DigiCore, feeling a rush of energy as the other Digimon's power flooded into him. He continued to tear away at it, finally stopping when only the outer husk remained. Removing his muzzle from the ruined DigiCore, Sangloupmon found that the Garurumon's body had vanished, seemingly having been deleted once the data inside the DigiCore was absorbed.

Shaking his head to remove any lingering traces of the meal from his snout, the Champion Digimon sniffed the air and decided that he deserved a nap. Wandering into the clump of dead trees, he entered his den and curled up, his mind already plotting how to defeat the next Digimon that was foolish enough to challenge him.

* * *

Piedmon was torn from his reflections by a new scent on the air. Slowing to a halt, he sniffed the pre-dawn breeze and realized that he was smelling his own troops. As ordered, they were marching due north from Root Jungle, heading towards the city of New Aldor. He estimated that the army was about half a day's march ahead of him, and resolved not to come in contact with them.

Adjusting his course so that he was heading in a more westerly direction that before, the disguised Mega set off at a fast trot, keeping alert for the specific Digimon that he had been told to delete.

- - -

**Author's Notes:** I apologize deeply for the long delay in getting this up. End-of-term school projects, final exams, and a major case of writer's block prevented me from making much progress on this chapter. But I do have some good news to share.

I recently created a blog where I will post extra background information on each chapter. You don't have to read it, but I though it would be nice for anyone who is interested in learning a little bit more about this story. The link to the site is on my profile page.


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